The History of Persiana tea

Persiana Tea Everything You Need to Know

Persiana is today a word synonymous with culinary style and today it stands for reliability, ease and an exploration of flavours ! and is of course all about the tastes and flavours found in the Middle East and going all along the Silk Road as far as China and Japan. Did you know that people along the Silk Road region have one of the highest per-capita rates of tea consumption in the world? and since the 17th century most streets has a Châikhâne (Tea House). Châikhânes are still an important place for everyone to meet with their friends for a chat over a great cup of tea.

Tea came to the ancient Persiana region in the 17th century and at that time it was an expensive luxury. Attempts to grow tea had been unsuccessful until the famous explorer Haj Mirza, travelled to India . When in India he learned the secrets of tea plantation and when he came back to home he brought 4000 tea plants and began to cultivate perhaps the best tea on earth.

Today, a large region of ancient northern Persiana are perfect for the cultivation of tea. Almost everyone you might meet along the Silk Road will tell you that they love to drink Chai, pronounced Cha-ee .

Persiana tea comes in a variety of subtle flavors, but it has a defining characteristic which is its deep reddish-brown colour. Most Châikhânes or Persiana tea houses serve strong tea. The stronger the tea, the higher the concentration of tannin and caffeine.

Tea in general, is what people along the Silk Road drink first thing in the morning, and after each meal, and well constantly throughout the day. The tea ritual continues, as the first drink that everyone if offered when you visit someone's home, yes it's a nice cup of tea.

The Persiana way of making tea:

Here's the simplest traditional way of blending a traditional cha tea along the Silk Road . Start with a nice teapot, loose black tea, a couple of cardamom and some rose petals. Place a good amount of loose tea, slightly crush the cardamoms and put over the loose tea combined with the rose petals in the teapot and add boiling water.

Now put the lid back on and place the teapot on top of the kettle or samovar and let it simmer on the stove so as to keep it warm. The Persiana tea needs to be brewed for about 15 – 20 minutes before serving.

Here's the Persiana way of pouring tea:

First, pour some of the hot tea into the cup to check its colour.
Then pour the tea back into the teapot.
This moves the tea inside the teapot around so as the colour of the tea is even.

If the colour is light, you should let it steep a little longer. Next fill up one third to half of the cup with tea and pour hot water on. The tea shouldn’t be too strong, if it is adding a little hotter water.

And there it is, a perfect cup of perfect Persiana Silk Road tea !