Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

Every nation has its own ritual drink. In Azerbaijan it is tea.

Since old times, tea has occupied a special place in the daily life of people here. No important event from birth to burial is held without tea.

Armudu--national glass

In Azerbaijan, people drink tea in special glass which is called "Armudu" i.e. pear-shaped.

It really resembles a pear: Its top and bottom are wide and "waist" is narrow. There are many explanations for the unusual shape of this glass. Some say it is easy to handle, others say the shape of the glass reminds a girlish figure.

However, in fact, the reason is very pragmatic; Tea cools more slowly in the bottom of the glass than in the top. And thus, the temperature at the bottom of the glass remains hot for a longer time.

That's why Armudu is truly a miracle of ancient Azerbaijani design: A beautiful shape and functionality.

Chaykhana as the national club

People are gathered together in hot days just to drink tea. Mainly they gather in teahouses or how it is called in the West "Chaykhana".

Chaykhana is derived from the Chinese word "tea" (chay) and Persian "Khane"(khane) a house or a room. During some centuries, Chaykhana has existed in Azerbaijan, Iran and Central Asia.

Unlike Central Asia's Chaykhana where people could dine tightly, Azerbaijan's Chaykhana only serve tea.

To be clear, it was a "club" where people can meet friends, chat, get news and even gossips. Mainly in a Chaykhana, people learn about what is happening in the world from carriageways travelers and merchants.

This tradition has been remained in Azerbaijan till today. It is a good way to maintain good relations.

Today, it is impossible to imagine Azerbaijan without Chaykhana. It is on every street and in every yard.

That's why, Azerbaijanis are called Caucasian British. There is no other nation who loves tea more than Azerbaijanis.

The main component of each Chaykhana is Samovar. It is the hallmark of Chaykhana. Samovar usually sets in the most conspicuous place and is stoked with coal.

In Azerbaijan, people not only love to drink tea in any weather conditions, even if 40-degree heat stands in the yard, but they also gift tea to each other when they go to visit someone.

Tea is a friendly drink. In any Azerbaijani house the first thing that is offered to the guest is aromatic black tea. With tea a feast begins and ends.

Tea, as tradition at weddings

Tea is also an indispensable part of matchmaking.

The answer of a girl's family is given by tea. If tea which is taken to the table is sweet, the families could prepare for the wedding. If the sugar is served separately from the tea, it means failure.

Azerbaijani tea is tasty and quenches thirst. However, it is necessary to know the secret of its brew. Very often, Azerbaijanis drink tea with spices including cloves, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom.

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.