The Story of the Slim-Waisted Glass

Just as tea is one of the first things that comes to mind when Turkish culture is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind when tea is mentioned is undoubtedly... It's a slender-waisted glass . Here's the story of that slender-waisted glass we can't do without.

History of the Slim-Waisted Glass

The story of this slender-waisted glass, an indispensable part of our daily lives and an important part of Turkish culture, dates back 80-90 years. While it's unknown who designed and produced the slender-waisted glass, a favorite of tea lovers, it's possible to make an estimate based on the information found in sources. It is known that mass production began in a factory in Beykoz in the second half of the 19th century. Furthermore, the slender-waisted tea glass also appears in Hoca Ali Rıza's painting titled "Samovar." Hoca Ali Rıza Bey lived between 1858 and 1930. In light of this information, we can say that the slender-waisted tea glass has been a part of our lives since the late 1800s.

Factors that contributed to the evolution of the slender-waisted glass into its present form.

When these glasses were first produced, they were larger and had handles than today's glasses. However, these features increased production costs, preventing them from being sold at an affordable price. These two features, abandoned in order to make the glasses now found in every home more affordable, were one of the factors in the traditional thin-waisted tea glass reaching its current form.

Thanks to its tapered shape towards the middle, when you hold the cup by the rim with your index and thumb fingers, the hot tea doesn't touch your hands, preventing burns. The tapering design also keeps the tea from cooling down quickly. Its ergonomic design fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, allowing the warmth of the tea to transfer to your hands, warming cold hands and creating a warm bond between tea and tea lovers.

Another feature of the slender-waisted glass, which tea lovers can't do without, is that thanks to its transparent structure, the color of the "rabbit's blood" tea is also visible.

What is the most suitable cup for drinking tea?

Tea is an important part of our culture as well as world culture. The different cups preferred in various cultures naturally lead tea lovers to ask, "Which one is the best?" We have the answer: The slender-waisted glass.

In the hustle and bustle of busy school or work lives, paper cups come to the rescue of tea lovers. While these disposable paper cups offer the quickest way to drink tea, they can spoil the taste. The most important indicator of good tea is that its flavor isn't fully appreciated, because in a paper cup, the taste is neutralized.

Porcelain cups have also become an alternative for tea lovers. Attracting attention with their various designs, porcelain cups also offer ease of use thanks to their handles. However, when it comes to enjoying your tea, porcelain cups fall short, as they cause the tea to cool down easily.

In our opinion, the most suitable glasses for drinking tea are slender-waisted glass cups. Glass cups are ideal for showcasing the clarity of the tea and for adjusting the strength of the brew. Furthermore, due to its place in our culture, the slender-waisted glass cup has become ingrained in the minds and, more importantly, hearts of tea lovers as the most preferred type of glass.

Types of Slim-Waisted Glasses

Many beautiful, slender-waisted glass designs are emerging from our country. Our designers are making significant contributions to world tea culture by interpreting the slender-waisted glass in various ways. We use slender-waisted glasses both in our Ardeşen tea tasting center and from Paşabahçe's Nude series. It's both a modern and classic design. In addition to the standard slender-waisted glass size model, there is also an exquisite coffee shop version.

A classic slim-waisted glass holds 110-120 cc of tea, while coffee shop glasses hold 80-90 cc.

Of course, when talking about slender-waisted glasses, it's impossible not to mention Ajda glasses. Although we could say the glass's name is actually Aida, that's not really important. Because this slightly larger glass holds a significant place in our tea culture. The Ajda glass is, in fact, the largest-volume slender-waisted glass. With a capacity of 150-160 cc, this glass is also manufactured by Paşabahçe.