LABLABI Journal
Tea culture
From the armudu glass to the çayxana: short pieces on the finer points of Azerbaijani tea culture.
The armudu glass: the secret of a slender waist
Why the Azerbaijani armudu tea glass is shaped like a pear, what the "place for the lips" is, and how this slender glass became a symbol of a nation's tea culture.
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The tea table: from lemon to preserves
In Azerbaijan, tea is not a drink but a table. Lemon, lump sugar, mürəbbə preserves, sweets and dried fruit: the customs and meaning of the traditional tea table.
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Lankaran tea: a leaf from the Caspian shore
Azerbaijani tea grows in the Lankaran-Astara region on the Caspian coast. The history, climate and character of Lankaran tea.
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The çayxana: a gentlemen's gathering place
For generations, the çayxana has been where men meet, play nard and dominoes and share the news. The Azerbaijani tea house tradition and its present day.
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Dəm: how Azerbaijani tea is brewed
The secret of good Azerbaijani tea is the dəm, the brew. The samovar, the teapot, steeping time and the herbs added to tea: the essentials of traditional brewing.
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