Tea, the Common Language of Iranians
WANA (Oct 28) – In Iran, no conversation begins without tea.
Want to make a new friend? Tea.
Want to settle an old misunderstanding? Tea.
Want to fill a moment of silence? Again, tea.
In every home, the teapot is like a family member — always present, always working, and always a little tired. Iranians don’t just drink tea; they live with it.
Tea is by their side when they work, when they wait, and when they have nothing to say.
Samovar is a metal container traditionally used to heat and boil water. Social media/ WANA News Agency
Tea in Iranian Homes
In Iranian homes, the scent of tea is always in the air — even if no one has poured a cup.
Every kitchen has a ghoori (teapot) that works harder than any other appliance, and glasses and teacups that seem to have been passed down from generation to generation.
Tea in Iran isn’t just a daily beverage; it’s a rhythm of life that flows through morning, noon, and night.
Early in the morning, before any important decision, grandmother pours spoonfuls of dry tea into the pot with the same care she’s practiced for years, adds boiling water, and says, “Let it brew — like everything worth waiting for.”
Unlike modern coffee, served with the hiss of steam and the noise of machines, tea must be calm.
The teapot resting on the samovar, the gentle bubbling of water, and the scent of cardamom and cinnamon wafting from afar — these are part of everyday life in Iran.
Tea is not merely a drink; it’s the background of silence, thought, and sometimes love. That same simple tea a father drinks after a hard day, or a mother holds by the window as she waits for her child to return from school.
Tea at Gatherings and Ceremonies
In Iran, no gathering is complete without tea. Before anything else — even before anyone sits down or says a word — the tray of tea arrives, with slender glasses, sometimes colorful saucers in old houses, and occasionally a slice of lemon on the side.
Tea is the first sentence of every meeting — the warm “hello” of Iranians. But it doesn’t end with ordinary gatherings.
Decorated tea glasses for a marriage proposal ceremony. Social media/ WANA News Agency
At marriage proposal ceremonies, tea holds a moment of destiny. From the instant the bride pours it with delicate care, to that quiet, expectant pause when everyone watches how she offers the glass to the groom.
At funerals, tea is there too — quieter, wordless. At celebrations, it is stronger, sweeter. In Iran, tea is not just a beverage; it is the ever-present companion of shared moments.
From Rose Petals to Cinnamon
Iranians are loyal to their tea — but each has their own version. One brews it with a few petals of gol-e mohammadi (damask rose) to give it the scent of heaven, another adds a pinch of cinnamon to warm the heart.
Sometimes cardamom, sometimes saffron, sometimes even a few cubes of sugar dropped right into the teapot. Tea in Iran is a personal experience — everyone has their own taste.
Tea with Sohan. Social media/ WANA News Agency
And of course, tea is incomplete without something to eat. Sometimes sugar cubes, sometimes dates, sometimes tiny crystals of saffron candy (nabat), and sometimes Gaz or Sohan (traditional sweets).
Some are more traditional and insist that real tea must be drunk “with a sugar cube under the tongue” — a method that every foreigner, on their first try, usually ends with coughing and laughter.
The Healing Miracle of Tea and Nabat
It’s worth mentioning that Iranians have their own secret remedy known only to them — a cure for nearly everything: tea with nabat!
It’s impossible to visit a grandmother’s house, mention any kind of pain — especially stomach ache — and not be offered tea and nabat as the first and most certain solution.
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Iran’s Tea vs. the World’s Coffee
While much of the world starts its day with coffee, Iranians wake up with tea. In France and Italy, the espresso machine sits on the kitchen counter as a symbol of modernity, but in Iran, the samovar — or in modern homes, the kettle — still reigns supreme.
For Iranians, tea isn’t just caffeine; it’s a cultural pause — a drink for thought and calm, not speed and work.
Coffee in the world is the drink of beginnings — the start of the day, the start of a meeting, the start of work. But tea in Iran is the drink of continuation — continuing the talk, the relationship, the life itself.
It may seem hard to believe, but whether the weather is cold or scorching hot, tea is a small miracle that melts away fatigue, even under the blazing summer sun. Tea is a permanent member of the Iranian daily rhythm.
Iranians in a cafe in Tehran, Iran, December 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
The New Generation and Modern Drinks
Of course, today’s Iran is not just the land of tea. The younger generation in cafés now orders Turkish coffee, espresso, matcha, and even Korean drinks.
Beverages that, if you tried to explain to their grandmothers, would make them laugh and ask: “What’s matcha? And what on earth is green coffee?!”
Yet, even those same young people, when they come home tired and cold, reach for their familiar glass of tea. No matter how complicated drink names become, nothing can replace a simple cup of Iranian tea.
In every home, the teapot is a symbol of constancy — perhaps small, but always warm. In Iran, tea is not just a drink; it is memory — the memory of gatherings, the scent of rose petals in old cups, and the silence that settles after every sip.
In a world that’s constantly changing, tea remains the same: calm, sincere, unpretentious. Just the way Iranians like to live.
