In Uzbek, kok means "green" or "blue", so kok-chai literally means "green tea". In Central Asia the name refers to this particular style of brewing and this type of leaf.
Drinks
Green tea (kok-chai)
Uzbek green tea, light and refreshing. People drink it in hot weather, with plov and over a long conversation, and it brews gently to a pale green.
Kok-chai is Uzbek green tea, and at the Uzbek table it is drunk more often than black. It is a light, grassy drink with a delicate vegetal aroma that refreshes in the heat and sits well after plov. The brew is gentler than black tea: the infusion is pale green, with a scent of meadow grasses.
- Origin
- Packed in Uzbekistan; blended from Chinese teas
- Category
- Tea
- Packaging
- Packs of 100 g, 250 g and 500 g
- Shelf life
- Up to 18 months in an airtight container
- Certification
- Halal, certified by ALHALAL
Kok-chai is brewed with water at 75–80 °C, not boiling, for no more than 2–3 minutes, or the tea turns bitter. Use 1 tsp per 200 ml of water and warm the piyola (tea bowl) first. Fill the teapot a third of the way, and a minute later top it up with the rest of the water. Sugar does not go in the cup; the sweetness sits nearby, in a bowl of navat.
By Uzbek tradition, plov is usually served with kok-chai: the light infusion refreshes the palate after rich, fatty food, is traditionally thought to aid digestion and does not overpower the flavours. It goes particularly well with plov made with dried apricots, whose fruity note is echoed in the tea.
Green tea needs especially careful storage, as it quickly absorbs moisture and loses its aroma. Once opened, tip it into a tightly sealed jar and keep it somewhere dry and dark, away from spices and coffee. It keeps for less time than black tea: up to 18 months, with the brightest flavour in the first 6–9 months.
FAQ
Green tea (kok-chai): common questions
With plov and shashlik (it refreshes the palate after fatty food), and with navat and dried fruit. It suits sweets less well than black tea does, but goes better with rich, fatty food.
Use water at 75–80 °C and no hotter; boiling water scalds green tea and makes it bitter. Allow 1 tsp per 200 ml, steep for 2–3 minutes and warm the piyola first.
Up to three times, with each infusion slightly shorter than the last. The flavour changes as you go: the first cup is the brightest, the second softer and the third light and subtle.
For plov or tea
Everything for dinner at one counter
At Arkan Bazar in Riga you can get everything for a meal in one go: rice, spices, dried fruit, flatbread and tea. Planning a family celebration or cooking for a large group? Write to us through the form in advance, and we will have your order ready on time.