C. sinensis var. sinensis, April-October, 2022?; Alborz Mountains, Gilan Province, Iran; 500-1500m, bud and 2-3 (young) leaves, Black tea process; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá, #Tea, #茶, #Chá.

This Tea is grown in the north of Iran, close to the Caspian Sea, along the Alborz mountain range. It is a black tea that is brewed with 2 to 3 pods of green cardamom, and kept warm on the top of a samovar. I should mention that the tea is not stored with cardamom, but rather the grenn cardamom pods are first lightly crushed and then added to the tea pot to steep with the black tea leaves.

This is the first time I tried this tea. It was quite tasty, and reminded me a little of Earl Grey, but without the heady floral note. All the scent comes from the cardamom. It is typically served in various ways. In this case it was served with some dried dates. The mild sweetness of the dates balanced well the astringency and slight bitterness of the Tea. It is well worth trying.

As I passed by this market vendor, who was also hawking saffron and dried fruits, I was immediately entranced by his red tea pot. Farhad the vendor, told me that this pot was quite old and the image on the side is of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, who was the fourth Shah of Qajar, Iran. The pot is apparently around 100 years old. When I took a closer look at it, it certainly showed time honoured ware and tear, and been looked after well.