Iran and Japan: where tea is not just a drink

Tea is an integral part of both Iranian and Japanese culture. In Iran, it is served multiple times per day at home, at work, and in mosques. Each meal ends with tea, and then everyone moves from the dining area to the living room. Oftentimes, a hostess will pour a little bit of tea into a glass and set the glasses on a silver tray. Since Iranian tea is very strong, she will then dilute the tea with boiling water. In Iran, it is customary to wait for the host and then begin drinking tea together. The tea house, or “chai khaneh,” is a long-standing fixture in Iranian culture.

In Japan, tea is also an important part of the national culture. Tea or “ocha” is served almost everywhere. Unlike Iranian tea which is served with sugar cubes, the Japanese seldom take their tea with sugar or cream. The tea ceremony or “chanoyu” is a central element of Japanese culture and something everyone who visits Japan should at least experience once! In Japan, the most polite way of drinking tea is by holding the cup by one hand and placing the other hand below the cup.