Château Rouge was inspired by a time in history when traders brought exotic delicacies back from their travels from far away Asia and the Far East. On their return to Europe they would not just trade tea, but tales of another world so far away from most people’s reach, and stories and anecdotes that made the world seem so much more exciting.
Almost a thousand years ago a gifted Persian poet by the name of Ferdowsi Tusi wrote Shahnameh (Book of Kings) – an epic describing the mythical history of pre-Islamic Persia in beautiful rhyming stanzas.
The legend has it that Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, in whose court Ferdowsi served, had promised a gold coin for every verse but when he saw the length of the Shahnameh he balked and refused to pay! Ferdowsi stormed out in anger taking his creation and eventually dying in abject poverty.
Much in the way Château Rouge has found inspiration, in the following millennium storytellers in tea houses up and down the country and across the sprawling empire would recite the epic of the hero of Shahnameh Rustam, who when he walked his boots sank into stone.
Later through consecutive conquest by the Moguls and Afghan tribes, through the dark times and happier days, Fersowsi’s heroic tale passed from one tea house to another, from one generation to another and from Persia across to India and beyond.
The Moguls introduced exotic Green tea to Persia, the Russians later brought aromatic Black tea brewed in coal-fired Samavars, from the very start tea cementing itself as the national drink.
As travellers and traders sat and listened and sipped tea they passed the epic of Shahmanesh. And so tea drinking became closely interlinked with story telling and poetry – a ritual that continues to this day.
Now no Iranian home is complete without a brewing pot or hot Samavar containing aromatic tea served in small glass cups, strong, black with a lump of sugar – with a copy of Shahnameh sitting close by on the shelf.
Château Rouge are purveyors of fine, premium, specialist and luxury teas that are sourced from around the world. Chateau Rouge Luxury Teas Ltd, Coppergate House, 16 Brune St, London E1 7NJ, England. Company No.5489120 Website by Banksthomas part of the Spinach Group
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