This is the first Persian tea I’ve been able to try thanks to Martin. The United States has imposed sanctions on Iran, so we are unable to receive any Iranian goods besides food products, which thankfully includes tea. I was unaware that Iran even produces tea. The arid climate of Iran gives way to a belt of land in the north of the country along the Caspian Sea which is suitable for growing tea. Lahijan is a city located in this region.
Spring 2019 harvest. The dry leaf has a comforting aroma of cinnamon raisin toast, malt and red fruits. The leaf is cut pretty small but I went ahead and prepared according to What-Cha’s recommendation. I used 3g for 300mL, steeped at 95C for 4 minutes. The resulting brew has an aroma of roasted nuts, cinnamon raisin toast, black currants, red fruits, malt and cocoa. The tea is medium- to full-bodied and meaty with balanced tannins and astringency. The flavor is full and smooth with tea rose, rosewood, mineral, roasted nuts, roasted meat and a red fruit tone. It is spicy, body-warming and relaxing and cooling in the chest. Gentle cinnamon raisin toast aftertaste.
This is an excellent tea! It feels very luxurious to me. Despite having roasted nut and meat notes, the tea does not at all have any lingering char taste. I was concerned that the chopped leaf and long steep time would produce a heavy, astringent and bitter tea but it is smooth as could be and light in my stomach. It’s definitely not a black tea that requires milk and/or sugar. One thing to note, though, is with a 4-minute infusion time, the tea is truly good for only 1 cup. I did let today’s brew go for about 6 minutes and it was just as good as the 4-minute brew.
Flavors: Astringent, Black Currant, Brown Toast, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Malt, Meat, Mineral, Mint, Raisins, Red Fruits, Roasted Nuts, Rose, Round, Smooth, Spicy, Tangy, Tannin, Wood
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I really loved it! And my grandma loves it as well. “It is light, but still a flavourful cup.” as she described it to me once. I hope I will be able to get more of Iranian teas one day.
Is this the one you sent me a taste of? There’s an entry here for a Persian Lahijan handmade tea and, of course, I misplaced the baggie!
What I sent you is this -
https://steepster.com/teas/what-cha/97377-persia-lahijan-hand-made-black-tea
- Which was shipped with a label that said this
https://steepster.com/teas/what-cha/97378-near-eastern-hand-made-black-tea
for reasons, I presume.
But this is probably related to that and these and those and them.
Don’t know what I’d do without to you keep me between the lines!
I really loved it! And my grandma loves it as well. “It is light, but still a flavourful cup.” as she described it to me once. I hope I will be able to get more of Iranian teas one day.
Is this the one you sent me a taste of? There’s an entry here for a Persian Lahijan handmade tea and, of course, I misplaced the baggie!
What I sent you is this -
https://steepster.com/teas/what-cha/97377-persia-lahijan-hand-made-black-tea
- Which was shipped with a label that said this
https://steepster.com/teas/what-cha/97378-near-eastern-hand-made-black-tea
for reasons, I presume.
But this is probably related to that and these and those and them.
Don’t know what I’d do without to you keep me between the lines!