History of iranian tea (chai)
The history of tea culture in Iran started at the end of the 15th century. Before that coffee was the main beverage in Iran. However, most of the coffee producing countries were located far from Iran, making shipping very difficult. With a major tea producing country, China, located on a nearby trading path, “the silk road”, and the shipping of tea was much easier. This was a major reason for tea becoming popular in Iran. As a result, the demand for tea grew, and more tea needed to be imported to match Iran’s consumption.