Iranian tea through the ages
Tea has played a critical role in the cultural and social history of Iran.
Iran is the fourth largest consumer of tea in the world. In addition, Iran is a grower of tea with annual tea producton reaching $3 Billion dollars in 2022, indicative of tea's historic significance as the dominant beverage in Iran.
The exact date that tea was introduced to Iran is unknown, although several historical accounts support that tea was introduced before coffee.
Tea (along with coffee) became well known in Iran around the start of the Safavid Dynasty during the early 1500’s.
Despite tea's popularity, water and fruit juice remained
the most common household drinks in Safavid and Qajar Iran