Which country drinks the most tea?
Turkey drinks the most tea per person, about 3 kilograms per person each year, more than any other country. China drinks the most tea in total.
In Turkey, black tea, called çay, is served throughout the day in small, tulip-shaped glasses, usually without milk. It is offered to guests, sold by tea sellers in markets and drunk at work and in cafés. Most of Turkey's tea is grown on the green hills around Rize, on the Black Sea coast.
Turkish tea is brewed in a double teapot called a çaydanlık. Strong tea is made in the top pot and diluted with hot water from the bottom pot, so people can choose a strong, dark brew or a lighter one. Many Turks drink several glasses a day.
Other big tea drinkers
After Turkey, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Iran and Russia are among the highest tea drinkers per person. China, where tea drinking began thousands of years ago, consumes the most tea in total. India is also a giant tea producer and consumer, famous for spiced milk tea called chai.
Did You Know?
In Turkey, tea is so important that the phrase çay demlemek, to brew tea, is often an invitation to sit and talk.