Spice Guy and Kurdish Tea from the Erbîl Qayseri Bazar

 

One of the highlights for me was buying spices from the spice guy at the Erbil Qayseri Bazar.

I had a list of things I wanted to buy.  My friend told me that sometimes people put saffron, cardamon, rose buds, and cinnamon in their tea.   So, those items were on my list.   I thought we would be buying them in a grocery store...but then I saw the spice guy at the bazar and he had everything I needed.

The cinnamon here I believe is a Ceylon Cinnamon.

It looks like tree bark to me.  But I hear it is the really good stuff.  

I then saw rose buds and told him I would take those.

Then I saffron and said I wanted some of that too.

And when I saw Cardamon, I said I'd take some of those as well.

While he was packing everything, I saw tea!!

I said I wanted some of that.  I have no idea what kind of tea it is.  My friend just said that the man said it was a blend of tea.

The man told us that his grandfather started the tea shop, then his father took over, and now he was running it.  The photo was of them in 1958.  What a great history of the store.

He is measuring my tea. 

This is my, "Spice Guy"...I have a spice guy!

As we left the bazar I noticed men sitting everywhere drinking tea. 

Here are my goods- rose buds, saffron, tea, cinnamon, and cardamom- I believe I got all my tea and spices for less than $20.  I also bought this tea tray too.

see below...I made the mystery tea...

Tea here is called Chai.  It is a black Ceylon tea with cardamon.

A teahouse is the second most visited place in Iraq, just after the mosques.

Tea is the number one drink in Iraq.

There are tea houses all over Erbil and some are for men only.  The men sit around- drink tea, play games, talk business, and politics.  

Tea houses in Iraq are called chai khana.

It is becoming more acceptable to women to be allowed in some teahouses.

Iraqis are said to drink 1 pound of tea a month.  In 2021, Iraq was the largest importers of Ceylon tea.

Tea is for rich and poor, old and young.  It is a part of the culture in Iraq.

In the 19th century the governor of Bhagdad turned all the coffee houses into tea houses.

But tea really gained it's popularity when the British army came to Iraq.

 I've heard that people will start their day with Kurdish tea too.  That if they don't they believe they will often have headaches and become dizzy.

If you buy tea along the streets here it is less and .50

Iraqi tea is served in a small cup made of glass called “Istikan” and this word means “East Tea

Can”.  In other countries, I have heard them called Tulip cups, because of the shape.

 Tea is made in a Samovar.  The bottom kettle has the hot water, the top, smaller kettle has the stronger tea concentrate.  You would fill the cup up with around 3/4 of the black tea and then the rest with hot water.  You try to fill the cup up as full as you can.

When tea is served it comes on a saucer, with the cup and a spoon.  The spoons can stick together.  If a man receives two spoons that means he will have two wives.

To cool the tea, some pour the tea in the saucer to drink it.  Some also keep the teacup in the saucer and lift the saucer up to drink from the cup, since the tea can be so hot.

There are a few things that can be added to this tea...a cinnamon stick, a rose bud, saffron, and even a  tea perfume.

Tea is served with dates, sunflower seeds, pistachios, cookies, and other sweet treats. 

The teaspoon is left in the cup when the tea is poured, if left out they think of you as inferior to them.  (I also read that you never serve the spoon in the cup.  It all depends on what part of Iraq you are from.  When served in Erbil, it always had a spoon in the cup when it was brought to me. Yet, when I went to a Kurdish home, he made the tea without the spoon in it.)

People love the clinking of the teaspoon along the teacup as the sugar is stirred in.  The clinking sounds are heard all over shops and bazars.

You will find kiosks of tea sellers on the side of streets, in the bazar, and all along the roads in villages.

Picnics always includes tea.  People will grill their food over wood and charcoal and then put the kettle on.  Some say tea over wood or charcoal is the best.

If you go to someone's house, it is rude for them not to offer tea.  And you usually will have at least 2 cups.

When we got back to the apartment, I made the tea I purchased.

I still have no idea what this tea is, but it does have cardamom in it.

My friend said that I also needed to buy rock sugar sticks to take home.  They are made there, and each sugar stick has a piece of saffron on it.

This saffron rock sugar is called Nabat.

I made us all some tea with a rock sugar stick in it.  3/4 full of black cardamon tea and then the remaining cup with hot water.

This was good tea, really good.  Again, I have no idea what all is in it, but I did enjoy this mystery tea.

What a fun day and even better memory.

1 Peter 4:10-11, ESV

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.