This is a typical Turkish everyday tea. The tea itself is grown in Rize, in the Karadeniz (English: black sea) region of northern Turkey. The climate in this region is mild and wet and as a result this region produces pleasingly delicate tea which is lightly floral, toasty and low in tannins. The light, low tannin nature of Turkish tea means it is perfectly suited for extended steeping. This is typical of Turkish tea culture where tea is prepared in the çaydanlık (English: tea kettle), a specially designed double kettle similar to a samovar which is used to prolong the infusion of the tea using indirect heat.

The flavour profile is very similar to other tea from along the Black Sea coast; light, slightly floral, toasty and lacking in tannic bitterness and astringency, perfect for every day consumption. Tea from this region is referred to Karadeniz cay (black sea tea).

The name 'filiz cayi' refers to the type of tea, in this case the tea is made from the sprouting tea buds, 'filiz' meaning bud and 'cayi' (chai) meaning tea.

The tea is ground very finely for use in the çaydanlık in order extract maximum flavour through extended steeping. The instructions on the side of the packet recommend a steeping time of 10-12 minutes. However, if you don't own a çaydanlık I find the tea is just as nice if heated in a teapot in a preheated oven at 100c for 5-10 minutes.

I paid £3.49 for a 500g packet, very cheap for a tea of this quality.

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