International Tea Day: Azerbaijan's enduring tea and jam ritual

For International Tea Day, Euronews reported on the place of chay in Azerbaijani daily life. The following is a summary of that reporting; the full article is available at the source link below.

Tea as structure, not refreshment. Euronews describes chay in Azerbaijan as something closer to social infrastructure than a drink: it precedes conversation, anchors negotiation, accompanies grief and carries evenings late. Sitting at a table without tea is unusual.

The armudu glass. Tea is poured from a slender teapot into the pear-shaped armudu glass. Its narrow waist and rounded base are functional rather than decorative — the shape concentrates heat at the bottom and keeps the tea hot for longer while the rim cools enough to sip, and the glass sits easily between the fingers.

The jam is not a spread. Preserves arrive in small, often crystal bowls: strawberries, pears, apricots and walnuts that hold their shape rather than dissolving. They are not stirred into the tea or spread on bread. A spoonful is tasted first, then followed by a sip of hot tea, so sweetness meets bitterness in a deliberate sequence. Euronews notes that tea with sweetness is common across the region — sugar cubes in Iran, pastries in Turkiye, varenye in parts of Russia — but that in Azerbaijan the order is codified: the jam is held apart, not mixed in.

Made slowly, by hand. Sabina Ulukhanova, who owns the family-run restaurant Kurban Said where some preserves are made at home, told Euronews the recipes have barely changed: fruit prepared carefully, sugar measured by instinct, timing judged by experience. Strawberry jam is made over two or three stages spread across three days; olive and walnut preserves take longer still. She described the ritual as a form of meditation — tea and jam, family or friends, and nothing else needed.

Why it matters for exporters. Whole-fruit preserves, herbal and black teas and the armudu glass itself are all part of a heritage product story that travels well: intact fruit, small-batch technique and a recognisable serving ritual are exactly the attributes speciality food buyers look for.

Source: Euronews, "International Tea Day: Jamming it up with Azerbaijan's enduring tea ritual", 21 May 2026 — https://www.euronews.com/culture/2026/05/21/international-tea-day-jamming-it-up-with-azerbaijans-enduring-tea-ritual