Tea Etiquette

       Not a day goes by without having a cup of tea. The same could be said for Iranians. Not only do Persians have tea with breakfast, lunch and dinner, but they also have tea several times throughout the day. Personally, I drink tea twice a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Whether you go to a friend’s house or have a business meeting, there will be tea offered. My grandmother told me, that back in Tehran, it would be rude not to serve tea. She says, don’t offer it, and the insulted Iranian will think, “ Yek chai taroof nakard!”. This Persian saying translates to “she or he didn’t even offer me tea”.

       Iranians tend to judge people and even restaurants, based on their chai-making skills. I can just hear my grandmother (dad’s mom) saying she doesn’t like a restaurant because “ I don’t like they way they serve Lipton!”. Note that Lipton is a universal term for teabags. Tea is evaluated on its color, strength, taste, temperature, and presentation. Quality tea is always loose-leaf. A good host usually asks if guests like their tea por rang, deep color (strong tea) or kam rang, light color (weak tea). If the color is too light either it wasn't brewed long enough or not enough tea was used, thereby affecting the taste. Big problem. Expect a stare down or a comment of some sort. 

       Most Iranians prefer just a hint of cardamon or cinnamon in their tea. No milk. No lemon. And if it's anything other than scalding when you first serve it, it's too cold. Apparently, Iranians are absolutely horrified that iced tea is an option in the U.S. For a brief period, Iranians disbelieved that people in the U.S. put ice in their tea.

       Finally, tea must be served in a clear glass to be able to gauge the color and strength. Elegant kamar baareek, slim wasted- glasses (like the picture above) are favored. Depending on the cup, it can be served on a saucer. Many people (mostly men or children) pour the tea in the saucer and drink it from there. Since there is more surface area, the tea cools quicker this way.

            Luckily, Iranian women have some sharp chai-making abilities, and no doubt you will enjoy it with sugar cubes or shirini, pastries. Here's a nice phrase you can try after witnessing the perfection of the color, taste, and presentation: Bah bah! Ajab chai! That's the Persian equivalent of Mmmm! What a tea! Among Iranian Armenians, we tend to drink a special blend tea called Sadaf, which comes in earl grey, jasmine, and cardamon. My personal favorite has to be jasmine tea, but the most common you’ll see in households is early grey. Earl grey tea is more traditional and mostly the elderly prefer to drink. With that being said, drinking tea attracts many ages and is common throughout many Iranian households.