• Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Youtube
  • Twitter
  • English English English en
  • Deutsch Deutsch German de
  • Русский Русский Russian ru
Email: [email protected]
Iran travel agency to travel to Iran
  • Home
  • Iran Tours
    • Iran tour packages price
    • Iran Culinary and Traditional Music Tour (8 day)
    • Iran Ancient (8 day)
    • Iran People (12 day)
    • Iran Inspiration (14 day)
    • Iran Old Roads (14 day)
    • Taste of Iranian Music (14 day)
    • Iran Black Tents (15 day)
    • Silkroad on Your Bike (16 day)
    • Iran Desert and Culture (18 day)
    • Iranian Ziggurat (21 day)
    • Black Church (22 day)
    • Iran Glory (23 day)
    • Iran Nature and Historical Sightseeing (25 day)
  • Adventure Tours
    • Dizin (5 day)
    • Dizin – Kish (7 day)
    • Damavand (9 day)
    • Trekking in North of Iran (12 day)
  • Services
    • Iran Visa
      • Visa Services
      • Visa for U.S , U.K & Canadian Citizens
    • Iran Hotels
    • Iran Guides
    • Transportation
    • Car Rental
    • MICE Services
    • Tailor Made Itinerary and Services
    • Iran Travel Insurance
    • Domestic Flight Ticket
  • Iran Cities
  • Iran Guidebook
    • Iran
    • Climate
    • Iran Dress Code
    • Persian Cuisine
    • Transport Information
    • Language
    • Iran Currency
    • Iran Map
    • Iran Tourist High Season and Low Season
    • Public Holidays in Iran
    • Learning Farsi
  • Gallery
    • Iran Cities Photos
    • Gashttour Tours Photos
  • News
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • About Gashttour
    • Awards & Certificates
    • CEO Message
    • Our Customers Testimonials
  • Contact Us
  • Search
  • Menu

The beauty of Iran tea production and tea culture

Tea first reached Iran by caravans traveling the Silk Road 450 years before the modern Christian era. Residents were largely coffee drinkers until the seventeenth century but now consume four times the world average for tea. The beverage is served hot at almost all social occasions and family gatherings. Every morning, in houses all over Iran, a gas burner flickers to life under a kettle that will continue to boil all day. It boils through morning prayers, lunches of rice and kebabs, afternoon conversation and late into the evening meal, sustaining talk of politics, gossip and news well into the night. The kettle contains tea, one of the most important cornerstones of Iranian culture, and the tea house is its centuries-old keeper. Tea production is a major industry in the Caspian Sea area and a large part of its economy. Before 1900, there was no tea production in Iran, but in 1895, an Iranian diplomat named Kashef Al Saltaneh decided to change that.  

Iran tea

  At the time the English had a strict monopoly of tea production in India, with rigid rules against non-Europeans engaging in this trade. Kashef Al Saltaneh, who had studied in Paris as a young man and was fluent in French, went to India, posed as a French businessman, learned the trade and smuggled some tea saplings and seeds to Iran. After six years of experimentation, he introduced his first product to the market, and started the industry that revolutionalized the economy of two northern states, Gilan and Mazandaran, and made Iranians avid tea drinkers. He is known today as the father of Iranian Tea, and his mausoleum, in the city of Lahijan, houses the tea museum.” Further reading reveals that Kashef Al Saltaneh’s other honorable titles include Prince Mohammad Mirza, Iranian ambassador to India, and first mayor of Tehran. Moreover, the stash that commenced the tea plantation might have actually been 3,000 saplings! Tea houses, or chaikhanehs, have been in existence since the Persian Empire. They gained prominence after the 15th century, when coffee was abandoned in favour of tea leaves that were easier to come by through China’s Silk Road. Though once the purview of men, chaikhanehs have increasingly become frequented by all members of society, and especially by Iran’s large youth population. Iranian tea comes in a variety of subtle flavours, but its defining characteristic is its deep reddish-brown colour, which tea-drinkers can choose to dilute with water depending on their preference. Despite its cultivation in the country’s northern provinces, other teas from Sri Lanka and India are also widely consumed as the country imports a majority of its tea in order to meet the large demand. Most chaikhanehs will serve tea on the stronger side unless otherwise indicated by the drinker. The stronger the tea, the higher the concentration of tannin and caffeine, so a good cup of tea is like a good cup of coffee for those who take it straight. Because of its bitterness, many prefer to have sugar with their tea. The traditional way to do this is to take a sugar cube and place it between your teeth. You then sip the tea and allow the sugar to melt. Iranians, especially in colder regions of the country, find this a convenient way to drink multiple cups. Crystal, or rock sugar, can be found throughout the country and bought in spice shops for this specific purpose. The taking of tea is a ritual unto itself: most meetings or formal occasions will begin with the offering of tea, and most meals will end with it. Some chaikhanehs have takhts, or low-rise platforms covered in rugs and pillows that you may recline on. Remove your shoes before doing so; most meals are served on a tablecloth laid at your feet. Traditionally, tea is served from a samovar, a heating vessel originally imported into Persia from Russia. Literally meaning “self-boiler”, the samovar is used to keep water hot for prolonged periods of time through a fuel-filled pipe in the middle of the structure that heats the contents surrounding it. Made from copper, brass, silver or gold, the samovar is still used throughout Russia, central Asia and Iran, and ornate versions from the -Qajar dynasty may still be found in use. Chaikhanehs come in all shapes and forms, from the simple kitchen-turned-tea room in villages to ornate venues in urban centres, and from underground venues to popular tourist destinations. The Azari Tea House in Tehran is one of the most famous chaikhanehs known to tourists and locals, with its detailed architecture and traditional decoration. In existence since the 14th century, this chaikhaneh on Vali Asr street contains one of the more interesting embellishments to emerge from tea house culture: teahouse painting.

Iran tea

Search

Recent
  • SaudiaSAUDIA and Tourism Authority of Thailand enter partners...May 21, 2022 - 6:33 am
  • Mandarin OrientalMandarin Oriental Mayfair set for winter openingMay 21, 2022 - 6:22 am
  • Network RailNetwork Rail announces Selmeston Solar Rail Connection project...May 21, 2022 - 6:00 am
  • blankGold Coast to host Australian Tourism Exchange 2023May 19, 2022 - 8:24 am
  • CruisesCelebrity Cruises launches first-ever NFT collectionMay 19, 2022 - 8:18 am
  • Las VegasDavid Blaine announces first-ever Las Vegas residencyMay 19, 2022 - 8:03 am
  • Turkey’s Travel & TourismTurkey’s Travel & Tourism sector to grow at twice...May 17, 2022 - 9:21 am
  • Playa Hotels & ResortsMarriott International collaborates with Playa Hotels &...May 17, 2022 - 9:02 am
  • North American AirlineNorth American airline passenger satisfaction declines:...May 17, 2022 - 8:51 am
  • FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup Trophy Tour kicks off a global journey in...May 15, 2022 - 6:03 am
  • Tourism AustraliaTourism Australia connects with top North American advisors...May 15, 2022 - 5:55 am
  • DP World TourHilton becomes the official partner of the DP World Tour...May 15, 2022 - 5:38 am
  • Location code‘Location code’ launched for access to Shanghai’s...May 12, 2022 - 4:44 am
  • AmadeusAmadeus profit takes off in first quarter as air travel...May 12, 2022 - 4:28 am
  • TripadvisorTripadvisor reports a net loss of $34 million in Q1 as the...May 12, 2022 - 4:18 am
Popular
  • Kashkan BridgeBridges in IranFebruary 2, 2020 - 10:57 am
  • blankIran emerging as the new experiential travel hotspotFebruary 10, 2019 - 7:02 am
  • blankChinese are allowed to visit Iran visa-freeJuly 1, 2019 - 10:31 am
  • blankIran Is Safe, Beautiful and Attracting: Marc WilmotsJuly 2, 2019 - 10:16 am
  • blankVisa-Free Regime for Chinese TouristsJuly 4, 2019 - 7:54 am
  • blankConstruction of Kish Island’s First 7-Star Hotel Unde...July 6, 2019 - 6:28 am
  • Darbe ShazdehRanking of Iran hotelsJuly 8, 2019 - 12:47 pm
  • Iranian ForestUNESCO Adds Iranian Forest To World Heritage ListJuly 9, 2019 - 10:12 am
  • iran is safeUNWTO says to introduce Iran as safe tourism destination;...July 18, 2019 - 9:57 am
  • Traditional HotelAnother traditional hotel start working in IsfahanJuly 23, 2019 - 7:38 am
  • ChabaharForeign Travelers to Chabahar Up 147%July 24, 2019 - 11:33 am
  • iran tourIran Tourism Grows 1.9% to Account for 6.5% of GDPJuly 30, 2019 - 9:42 am
  • Iran's Top HotelsIran’s Top 8 Hotels in 2019: Trip Advisor Travelers’...August 1, 2019 - 8:23 am
  • Visa Hong KongVisa-Free Regime for Hong Kong TouristsAugust 3, 2019 - 10:16 am
  • iran tourIran Ambassador: Iran major destination for foreign tou...August 4, 2019 - 8:14 am
Tags
Caves of Iran Culture of Iran Culture Tour Historical places in Iran Iran Attractions Iran cities Iran Desert Iranian Cuisine Iranian food Iran Mountain Iran Tour Iran tourist attractions Iran Travel Islands of Iran Lakes of Iran Provinces of Iran Shiraz Travel to Iran UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Iran World Heritage Site

Calendar

September 2021
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« Aug   Oct »

Instagram

Follow Me!

Our Partners:

blank

Services:

Iran Visa
Iran Hotels
Iran Tour Guide
Iran Travel Insurance
Domestic Flight Ticket
Car Rental
MICE services

Iran Cities:

Tehran
Shiraz
Isfahan
Yazd
Kerman
Kish
Mashhad

Iran Tours:

Iran People  12 day – 11 night
Iran Inspiration 14 day – 13 night
Iran Ancient 8 day – 7 night
Iran Old Roads 14 day – 13 night
Iran Glory 23 day – 22 night
Black Tents 15 day – 14 night
Iran Desert 18 day – 17 night

Contact:

blank

© Copyright IT Department Gashttour Travel Agency
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Youtube
  • Twitter
How Isfahan became the City of Polish Children during the Second World War Polish Children Meybod Meybod Yazd an Open-air museum of ancient watermills
Scroll to top
  • English