Tea from Iran - Persian Gold

We try to get tea from as many different countries as we can, because each region has its own unique flavors. Soil conditions, climate, elevation, tea varietals; all these things work together to give each tea its particular taste.

So when a gentleman came into the shop recently with a sample of black tea from northern Iran, we couldn't pass up the chance. I didn't even know Iran produced any tea, so this was definitely a chance to try something we'd never had before. And oh man, I'm glad we did. I haven't been this enamored with a tea for a long time.


The leaves are large, dark and wiry, and you can tell that they're hand-processed. They infuse to a light golden color, with a rich aroma on par with the best Indian black teas.


The taste is heavenly. It's smooth as silk, with almost no bitterness even when steeped for several minutes. I'm drinking some in a gaiwan right now and after several infusions of varying length, I have yet to experience an unsatisfactory cup. There is a light, honey-like sweetness that lingers in the background, rounding out the flavor. We've been told that in Iran the tea is often mixed with saffron or native rose petals, but I can't imagine adding anything to this tea.

I really can't say enough good things about it! Try it yourself and see. We have it here in the shop and on the website. At $7.00 per ounce, it's not inexpensive, but it is absolutely worth it.