Cay (CHAI), or Strong Turkish Tea

NO doubt you've heard the term "Turkish Coffee," where the coffee grinds are put in direct contact with a volume of water, before drinking, resulting in (so I've heard) a bitter cup of joe.

But what a surprise! Tea the color of coffee. There really is something to be said about the tea they brew here, it truly is "black," as they sometimes translate it in English. (Compare this deep color to the light red colors that you sometimes see in other English teas, or the much finer shades of brown or green that you find in China or Japan.)

The word itself, too, is Cai, pronounced "chai," apparently the same word that is used in Kenya, India, China and Japan. How funny the word for tea has travelled across such distances!

It's served dark next to hot water, and you dilute it to your level of comfort. For those of you not immune to caffeine, I suggest you fill up only half a cup or even less, then fill the rest with hot water. It's powerful stuff, but refreshing.

By the way, the cookies here in the photo are interesting. Most are bland, almost bread-like, but the green one here is interesting. It's a soft, chewy coconut garnished with (I think) pistachios.