White Tea Harvest in Iran's Gilan Province

One-hundred kilograms of white tea have been produced in Lahijan County of the northern Gilan Province, says the head of Iran Tea Organization.

Mohammad-Vali Rouzbehan added that Iran is among major producers of the delicacy in the world, including China, Sri Lanka and India, IRNA reported.

White tea is known to be one of the most delicate tea varieties because it is minimally processed. It is harvested before the tea plant’s leaves open fully and when the young buds are still covered by fine white hairs, hence the name “white” tea. These buds and unfurled leaves are handpicked and then quickly and meticulously dried, so the leaves are not allowed to oxidize unlike the leaves plucked for green or black tea production.  “The harvest season has come to an end after it started five months ago,” Rouzbehan said earlier this week, adding that this year’s production shows a 60% rise compared with last year.

Tea is cultivated in Iran’s two northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran where 50,000 families earn their living from tea farming in 25,000 hectares of fields.