Altınbaş is one of Çaykur's flagship black teas, produced by Çay İşletmeleri Genel Müdürlüğü, Turkey's state tea enterprise, in Rize on the Black Sea coast. The carton describes it as a natural black tea blended from the finest top leaves of the tea shoots, and its ingredient list names black tea alone. In the cup it gives the deep reddish-amber colour and the clean, slightly bitter edge that Turkish tea is known for.
The maker recommends freshly drawn, lime-free water and about two teaspoons of tea per glass. Place the tea in the upper pot of a çaydanlık (double teapot), set it over the pot of boiling water on a low flame and let it brew for 13 to 15 minutes. Pour a little of the concentrate into a small tulip glass and top it up with hot water from the lower pot to your preferred strength; Çaykur suggests drinking it within half an hour and re-brewing on request.
Serve it with sugar cubes, simit, olives and cheese at breakfast, or alongside baklava and Turkish delight in the afternoon. Keep the carton in a cool, dry place, well closed and away from strong smells, so the tea keeps its aroma.