Rize vs Gilan
Two coastal strips where a mountain range wrings rain out of sea air, producing tea country in countries that are otherwise too dry for it. Both supply enormous domestic tea cultures and almost nothing to the export market.
growing region
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Rize | Gilan |
|---|---|---|
| Country and coast | Turkey, on the eastern Black Sea. | Iran, on the Caspian. |
| Why tea grows there | The Pontic mountains hold moist sea air against the coast, giving very high rainfall. | The Alborz wrings rain out of Caspian air, producing a humid temperate strip unlike the rest of the country. |
| Elevation | 0 to 900 metres, on steep slopes. | 0 to 900 metres. |
| Manufacture | Orthodox-style black tea for domestic consumption. | Black tea for domestic consumption. |
| Preparation it feeds | Çaydanlık service — concentrate above, water below, combined in the glass. | Samovar-derived service, also concentrate and dilution. |
| Export | Very little; Turkey drinks what it grows and imports besides. | Very little. |
The short answer
These are two of the largest tea cultures in the world by consumption and two of the smallest by export presence, which is why they are almost absent from English-language tea writing. The preparation method in both cases was designed around a tea that is brewed strong and diluted to order, and the leaf is made to suit it.
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