Armuds: how they look and how to use them?

The tea ceremony for the eastern peoples has always been something special. The ritual is still carried out in compliance with old national traditions. In Turkey and Azerbaijan, the day begins with a cup of tea, and they can drink the drink several more times during the day, they complete each meal. Of course, the main role in tea drinking glass cups - Armuds, cultural heritage left over from the Ottoman Empire.

Every tourist visiting the countries of the East, surely tastes tea from Azerbaijani crystal glasses. In our article, we will consider what Armuds are, we will tell a legend related to their appearance, and the rules for holding a tea ceremony in Turkish.

Armuds are special containers for tea made of crystal, widely distributed in Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan. In recent years, with an increase in the flow of tourists to these countries, cups have become popular in Russia. This is quite natural, because their special shape contributes to a longer preservation of heat, and transparency allows you to see the fullness of the glass, therefore even with long conversations, you don’t have to worry about the drink cooling down.

From the Azerbaijani language, the word "armud" is translated as "pear", in Turkish the name of this fruit sounds like "armut". Many believe that it is thanks to their pear-shaped shape that these glasses got their name. Another option is that tea cups have the shape of a tulip, symbolizing for the inhabitants of the East love, devotion and tenderness. To many, the image of Armud resembles a female figure with a thin waist, rounded hips and beautiful breasts.

Traditional Azerbaijani cups are sold without handles, however, in stores you can also find a model with a holder designed specifically for tourists - local residents do not use them.

A hot drink in Armuda is poured from a special kettle, you can drink it almost immediately, without risk of burning yourself. The fact is that the upwardly expanding form of the device makes it possible to cool the upper part of the liquid faster. Tea is not poured to the brim, it is customary to leave a couple of centimeters so that it is more convenient for the guest to take a cup and drink a little. Some products have a thin edging indicating the border to which the liquid should be poured.

In everyday life, residents of Azerbaijan use simple glass armadshowever, there are products for special and public holidays that are found in every family. They are also reached when guests arrive. In the oriental bazaar you can find very beautiful hand-made porcelain or earthenware armoids with gold or silver decor.

Luxurious models made of real gold or silver are offered for wealthy people.. A great alternative to glass is crystal with beautiful patterns. The volume of glasses is very small - 100 ml, this is enough to have time to drink a drink during a conversation, and then add more. Sometimes at one tea ceremony, the Turks can drink 15 servings of hot tea.

Despite the lack of handles, it is very convenient to hold cups in hands. They fit neatly between the fingers and do not slip out of them. Heat-resistant glass with a thickened bottom prevents the possibility of burns and quick cooling of tea.

Tea sets are sold for two or more people, they include a tray, a tea kettle and glasses and saucers. Armuds with handles are a small narrowed to the center of a traditional glass cup. The handle can be placed anywhere in the upper or lower part, and sometimes even in the area of ​​narrowing.

In European countries, many began to use such cups for coffee, they were convenient for classic espresso due to their miniature size. However, residents of the East consider such actions unacceptable and even offensive.

In Azerbaijan, the handle is replaced with a cup holder for armuds. They are made from cupronickel, bronze or silver. While the cup itself is hot, it can be kept on a cup holder, most importantly, do not accidentally turn it over on yourself. The design of these products is usually minimalistic, however, there are volumetric devices with a handle that cover the glass itself.

Many centuries ago, back in the days of the Ottoman Empire, it was customary to drink tea from the Armuds. The pear-shaped shape of the cups made it possible to maintain the optimum temperature of the drink for a long time; it was neither hot nor cold. The empire disintegrated, and traditions were preserved. Each of the peoples of the Middle East believes that the Armuds first appeared in their region, and then spread throughout the territory, however, no one can give an exact answer to this question. Therefore, in different sources, glasses are called either Turkish or Azerbaijani.

Tourists are told a beautiful story related to the appearance of narrowed products. In ancient times, tea was drunk from ordinary glass cups. Once during another feast, the padishahu was whispered in the ear that his wife was unfaithful to His Majesty. The furious sultan ordered the execution of his wife, but first decided to look into her shameless eyes. Seeing the cheater, the man gripped the cup in his hand so hard that it narrowed in the middle and began to resemble a female figure with a thin waist. However, the anger of the padishah did not last long: when he saw the beautiful eyes of his beloved, he forgave her and released him in peace. But his emotions were reflected in the glass.

Later, he presented his wife with a bouquet of tulips - a symbol of love.Thus, the sultan wanted his spouse to always remember how strong his feelings for her were. Tourists visiting Iran and Turkey will certainly try a hot drink from Armud, often trying to fully reproduce the traditional ceremony. Having tried tea from glass narrowed glasses once, I no longer want to return to ordinary ones.

It was the many advantages of the products that made them popular in many Western countries. The main feature of the Armuds is, of course, their shape and thickened bottom, which does not allow tea to cool, while the upper expanded part quickly cools it. Both temperatures combine in the middle to form the perfect drink to drink.

If you are an avid teapot and start every day with this noble drink, then you should definitely buy a traditional Azerbaijani set that will make drinking hot tea a real pleasure. The big advantage of the cups is the convenience: they do not slip out of hands, and heat-resistant glass allows you to keep the temperature inside and not burn your hands, even when steam rises from the liquid.

Tea sets have incredible beauty.. Even the most ordinary glass or crystal products look unusual and pleasing to the eye, to say nothing of luxurious painted or models made of precious metals.

Turkish tea drinking can be a wonderful tradition for the whole family. This is an unforgettable time when children and adults gather at the table and indulge in a fragrant drink with something sweet in taste, can afford long conversations, because the drink will not cool down. Another important advantage of Turkish cups is the hygiene of the workmanship. It is not only 100% environmentally friendly, but also does not react with the liquid, completely transferring the taste of tea without changes.

If you find yourself in one of the eastern countries, you can not hesitate to buy beautiful tea sets as a gift to friends and relatives, which will delight them not only on holidays, but every day, creating a cozy atmosphere with oriental notes for a short time. Lovers of a real noble drink who cook their own tea leaves instead of buying bags will be especially pleased with such a gift. Be sure to purchase products for yourself.

For a real Turkish tea ceremony, certain rules must be followed. As a rule, long leaf tea, in very rare cases green, is used to make a drink.

Tea is drunk slowly, a sip after a sip, the whole procedure can take more than forty minutes. Brewing leaves is taken in several stages. First, the teapot is poured with hot water so that it warms up, then inside the leaf tea is put in the right amount and pour boiling water to the middle. Then you need to cover the kettle with a lid and wrap it in a special towel so that the heat does not come out. Allow the tea to brew for 4 minutes, then pour in more water by filling the appliance. Wait another 5 minutes and serve to the guests.

Tea is poured starting with the most respected person at the table, as a rule, this is the oldest. And then everyone else is honored. It is customary to serve a drink on saucers, sometimes, if the guest arrived from the West, in cup holders with a handle for convenience.

Sugar cubes are served in an open bowl and each takes the amount he needs. In the East, sweets are eaten in the bite: first, a piece is dipped in a drink, then bite off, and then washed down. In this case, it is advisable to hold saucers in your hands. Be sure to serve honey, jam, dried fruits and traditional Turkish delicacy - Turkish Delight in separate bowls.

Many people don’t know why sugar in Turkey is eaten with bite, another historical fact is associated with this tradition.Earlier, the padishahs were surrounded by conspirators who wanted to kill him. Some tried to slip poison into his food or drink. Particularly cunning, they poisoned the sugar, so they dipped the cubes in the drink to watch the reaction. If the grains began to hiss, change color or settle at the bottom, then they worked on them. Double teapots are sometimes used for brewing, which are put on the stove for heating.

In the process of tea drinking, you should also observe some points. Primarily we must remember that in the East, the elders are very revered, therefore the first word at the table is either at the master of the house or at the eldest. All sit on sofas or on the carpet with soft pillows. Transparent glassware allows the owner to understand that it is time to top up the drink. Guests decided to add tea until they themselves refuse.

In the next video, an Azerbaijani tea ceremony awaits you.