Connect with us on:         Active members : 22871
PLACES TO VISIT IN AFGHANISTAN   CMT fair – Stuttgart 2017 to showcase tourist Albania   WELCOME TO ALGERIA   Main attractions and man-made landmarks   ANDORRA SHOPING   Welcome to Angola   12 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Anguilla   Antigua Barbuda Wildlife & Marine Life   Bariloche   Ancient Cave Dwellings of Armenia   16 facts about Aruba that will surprise you   Bhutan Australia Diplomatic Relation ship discount offered   INNSBRUCK ALTRADT   TOP 4 SHOPPING MALLS IN BAKU   The Bahamas: beaches   Best steakhouses in Bahrain   St. Martin’s Island   Key Facts About Barbados   Visa-free entry for foreigners to Grodno   SEMOIS VALLEY   Explore Bermuda's 500 years of history   Road to Merak leads to declining tourist arrivals   Top 10 Places to Party In La Paz   Albanian Airways Holiday   Bumba Meu Boi: a guide to the festival of the ox in Brazil   Ten interesting facts about Brunei   The Ministry of Tourism held a national meeting with representatives of the EDEN network in Bulgaria   SCUBA DIVING IN SIHANOUKVILLE   Car rental with chauffeur service in Cameroon   Winnipeg’s best places to eat: the spoils of a food revolution   erectile dysfunction and radiation treatment   14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in the Cayman Islands   Patagonia, land of Magellan   Tibet tour   A PHOTOGRAPHERS GUIDE TO VISITING CHRISTMAS ISLAND   Cocos (Keeling) Islands traveller information   From Panama to Colombia...by boat   us based licensed pharmacy cialis   ZADAR   Curaçao Holidays and Festivals   KYRENIA   Konopiště Chateau and the Archduke's Trophies   Nyhavn, Copenhagen   WHAT TO DO IN DJIBOUTI?   10 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Dominica   10 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in the Dominican Republic   Hiking Mt Ramelau: a guide to scaling Timor-Leste's highest peak   Galapagos Island   17 Non Royal Mummies Have Discovered in Minya Cemetery   Asmara – Africa’s Modernist City became UNESCO World Heritage site   Neeme Lall Gallery   COFFEE   10 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in the Falkland Islands   FAROESE FESTIVAL AND MUSIC LIFE   Island paradise: the best resorts in Fiji   A REFRESHING DIP IN ICY WATER?   The Cave of Pont d'Arc in Ardèche   Best Time to Visit French Guiana   French Polynesia — History and Culture   Приглашаем встретить Новый Год 2017 в Грузии!   Neuschwanstein   Gorham’s provides ‘dramatic backdrop’ for BBC Horizon film   Greece-Where The Democracy And Philosophy Was Born   10 Interesting Facts You Didn’t Know About Greenland   Scuba Diving in Grenada   A Caribbean Secret: 10 Reasons To Love The Guadeloupe Islands   The 10 Most Beautiful Beaches In Guam   GUATEMALA ADVANCES 17 POSITIONS IN COMPETITIVENESS INDEX OF TRAVEL   Bike touring in Guyana: practical information   The Top 10 Most Beautiful Places in Haiti   Heard Island and McDonald Islands Travel Guide   Top 8 Things to Do with Kids in Hong Kong   Highlights of Budapest   Mysterious Iceland   26 Wellness Camps in India   java tour   Reinhold messner climbing experience   Iraq History, Language and Culture   Shows & Entertainment in Ireland   Having Trouble With Acid Reflux? Give These Tips A Shot   Венеция карнавал 2017   Jamaica Holidays and Festivals   5 OF TOKYO’S WEIRDEST CAFÉS   Petra   Southern Kazakhstan Tourism Destinations   3 Days Masai Mara Migration Safari   porno-anal   North Korea Country Profile   Circumnavigating Seoul: Hiking the ancient city wall   Kuwait Mosques   To Kazakhstan with Kyrgyz visa and vice versa   Bolaven Plateau Trekking   Kuldiga   Lebanon History, Language and Culture   The Citytrain Winetasting Tour   Lithuania for the first time: travel guide   Hiking in Luxembourg   10 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Macau   WINTER IN MACEDONIA   MADAGASCAR DESTINATION   Choose your own Malaysian island adventure   Water Sports   Learning English in Malta   Marshall Islands Travel Profile   Diving in Micronesia   Hancu Monastery   Cathedral   BEST OF MONGOLIA   Jbel Toubkal 4167m, Morocco   Introduction to Myanmar   Namib Desert (Sandwich Harbour)   Nauru Travel Profile   Asian Adventure Nepal B2B sales Partnership offer   Amsterdam’s Most Underrated Attractions   Top 10 Things to do in New Caledonia   New Zealand's most wondrous night-time experiences   Nicaragua under radar destinations for 2016.   Niue: Falling in love with the Pacific   Norfolk Island Travel Profile   Scuba Diving North Mariana Islands   SKI THE ICONIC NORWEGIAN FJORD REGION   Top 10: best luxury hotels in Oman   The 10 Most Beautiful Places You Should See In Pakistan   3 Luxury Hotels in Palau Where we Could Relax all Day   EDWARD RETAINS DIAMOND LEAGUE TITLE   Kayaking in Papua New Guinea   Travel in Paraguay   Sacred Valley tour guide.   Singapore with kids: best places to entertain tots in the Lion City   Pitcairn Islands Travel Profile   Pier in Sopot   The Cave of Escoural   Al Shahaniya Camel Racetrack   Visions of Heaven; Romania's famous painted monasteries are the beautiful legacy of a bygone era and vibrant centres of faith for today   Проживание в загородном отеле ЛЕС Арт Резорт с домашними животными   RWANDA, LAND OF A 1000 HILLS & HOME OF THE MOUNTAIN GORILLAS   13 Reasons Samoa Is The Pacific's Best-Kept Secret   Visit to the "Castelli"   Автомобильный форум   Top 5 day trips in Singapore   The National Park of Slovenský raj   Adele in Slovenia   Solomon Islands travel guide and things to do: 20 reasons to visit   South Georgia / South Sandwich Islands - Antarctic Travel   LANGUAGE/IDIOMATIC TOURISM   Travel Sri lanka With YENARA TOURS   7 Best Places to Visit in Suriname Before You Die   SKIING THE NORTHERNMOST MOUNTAINS IN THE WORLD: SVALBARD   Sigtuna   Salt Mines   Syrian Arab Republic Country Profile   The 10 Most Beautiful Places In Taiwan   Pamir Mountains among first 100 green tourist destinations in the world   6 Day Kilimanjaro Climb via Machame Route   В Краби слониха убила и самостоятельно похоронила своего хозяина.   Tokelau Travel Profile   Top 5 Tonga Resorts   The Last Monastery Which Virgin Mary Lived in secret Before Coming To EPHESUS   Turkmenistan — Shopping and Leisure   Tuvalu Travel Profile   experience experiatial tourism in uganda   Пять пляжей Ялты получили синий флаг   Affordable luxury: Abu Dhabi’s top 10 best hotels   Cruise Excursions from Liverpool Cruise Terminal   vardenafil vs sildenafil or tadalafil   What Kind of Food Do Uruguayans Eat?   Гастрономические туры в Узбекистан   Top 10 facts about Vanuatu   Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter's Square)   Venezuela — Attractions   Da Nang City a long stay destination in Vietnam   Wallis and Futuna Travel Profile   Yemen Country Profile   Get a flavour of the real Jersey with Four Farm Stalls   The Best Guernsey Boat Trips   Visa Information for Montenegro   Maglič   Always near sun and bath   Bonaire — Festivals and Events   Top ten reasons to visit Curacao   Palestinian territories   Easy Travel System   
FOLLOW US
Hotels Hotels catalog Guides Yachts Companies Transport Coordinator
JOIN US
Log in
LOG IN
Add email
SUBSCRIBE

Ancient traditions of tea drinking in Azerbaijan

Drinking tea in Azerbaijan is very pleasant due to the ancient traditions of tea ceremonies. Everyone who visits the country should take time to have tea at a traditional tea ceremony.
Azerbaijanis are very hospitable people and while visiting any home in Azerbaijan, you will be welcomed firstly by black tea. For the Azerbaijanis, serving tea at the beginning of a meal is considered to be a symbol of hospitality and is often accompanied by serving fig, strawberry, apricot, walnut, blackberry and other jams. The advantage of this tradition is that tea drinking with many guests at the table makes conversation flow smoother. Tea is also spiced with cinnamon, cardamom leaves or ginger for adding extra flavor.
Azerbaijanis usually don't put sugar in their tea; instead they dunk a piece of sugar in the tea, then bite a piece and sip their tea. According to a common belief, drinking tea in this complicated manner comes from the medieval times, when rulers who were afraid of being poisoned tested their tea by dunking a piece of sugar in the liquid. It was believed that the poison would react to the sugar.
Tea ceremonies have deep traditional roots in Azerbaijan. A traditional tea ceremony has its own rules and practices that are designed to make the serving and drinking process enjoyable. According to the old tradition, the host has to offer tea to every visitor, even if the visit is supposed to last only five minutes.
Tea is associated with warmth and friendliness, therefore, the tradition says that one should not allow the guest to leave the house without having at least one cup of tea.
A tea ceremony in Azerbaijan means freshly brewed, strong, bright-color, hot tea served in cups or crystal glasses, in particular, "armudu glass" i.e. "pear-shaped glass". Tea is served continuously when there are guests in the house or when there is an interesting conversation.

Armudu as symbol of tea ceremonies

Tea serving and drinking is an important component of Azerbaijani culture. No house would be com­plete without a set of Armudu glasses. Armudu or Boghmaliis a type of glass used for drinking tea in Azerbaijan. Armudu glass reminds the shape of a pear and is sometimes associated with the figure of a hostess in Azerbaijani culture. It is believed that the classic shape of Armudu represents the ideal figure of an Eastern woman or an 18 year old Azerbaijani girl.
The Armudu is made from a variety of materials, such as glass, porcelain, faience and silver. Besides the aesthetical qualities, the Armudu also has several differences and advantages from other glasses and cups.
Firstly, this type of glass is easy to hold because its top side is wider than the middle one, which prevents it from slipping out of your hand. Secondly, it is because the top part becomes less hot, which prevents the drinker from burning his hands. Thirdly, it was proven that unlike regular glasses and cups in which hot liquids cool equally, the hot tea in Armudu glasses proportionally cools at the time of drinking, allowing cooling of the tea in the top portion of the glass and keeping the bottom part hot.
An Armudu glass often weighs 100 grams. The tea is poured into the glass but not up to the top. Usually a gap of 1-2 cm, which is colloquially known as "dodag yeri" ("a spot for the lips"), is left for comfortable drinking.

Tasty samovar tea

The main thing in pouring tea is the selection of dishes and the water boiling technique. Generally, tea is poured into ceramic and china dishes. Water is boiled in various ways, in particular, in heated metal containers known as samovars. The smell and taste of fresh samovar tea is unique and inimitable.
According to some references, samovars were created in Russia, but a recent archeological discovery in Azerbaijan would suggest otherwise. Archeologist Tufan Akhundov, who unearthed a pottery-shaped samovar in Sheki, a town located at the foothills of the Caucasus, believes that this archeological finding is the oldest samovar ever unearthed -- possibly up to 3,600 years old.
The Lahij settlement in Azerbaijan's Ismayilli region is known for its copper samovars.
Shahid Habibullayev, an Azerbaijani collector of ancient samovars, has about 1,000 samovars. There is also a samovar monument in Lankaran, southern Azerbaijan, and a house in the form of a samovar in Naftalan, the central part of the country.

Tea houses

Azerbaijanis don't have a certain time for drinking tea. They have tea any time of the day or night. Tea is served everywhere, and it is an expression of the social lifestyle in Azerbaijan.
There is a "chaykhana", or tea house, in every corner of Azerbaijan. Historically women did not go to public places and "chaykhana" was reserved for men. The word "chaykhana" means a place where men have tea and this culture is as old and strong in Azerbaijan as pubs in Britain. Men sit in chaykhanas to pass time, tell stories and discuss politics, and play backgammon while drinking tea.

Tea at weddings

Azerbaijani people host various ceremonies around the tea table. Tea is served on any occasion -- from funerals to weddings.
The taste of sweet tea or unsweetened tea shows the agreement or rejection of the girl's parents to the marriage. If the woman's parents agree that the couple should be together, they serve tea with sugar at the end of the conversation; sugar is the key ingredient symbolizing their agreement. Unsweetened tea is a sign of rejection.

If you visit Azerbaijan, the Land of Fire, you should definitely taste its tea. Azerbaijanis say "Çay nədir, say nədir", which can be translated as "when you drink tea, you don't count the cups" and means that tea is something almost "sacred" in Azerbaijan.