June 12, 2024
Rize Tea has been Registered as a Geographical Indication 2021 in Türkiye which is known for its Tea and Hospitality.
According to Mr. Murat Bardakci, a histrorian, tea has been introduced to Türkiye in late 19th century by some small-scale importers based in Istanbul. The book named “Tea Booklet” by “Haci Mehmed Izzet Efendi” was published on 1879 in Istanbul. In this document found in Ottoman Archives, which is now accepted to be an archived document about tea farming in the Ottoman Empire, it is stated that seeds had been imported from Japan.
In the book named “Fevakihü’l–Cülesâ” by Abdül’l-Kayyûm Nâsırî who is a Language reformist Kazan Tatar, the first Turk who has ever drunk tea is the Turkish poet Hodja Ahmet Yesevi. The author Nâsırî also mentioned in his book that the tea that Hodja Ahmet Yesevi drank in the house of a Turkmen neighbor he visited, relieved his tiredness and he had said “Let your patients drink this so that they heal”.
On the official website of Rize District Governorship, it is stated that tea was first introduced to Turkey in 1787 with the planting of tea seed brought from Japan. The primary attempts to grow tea in Bursa area were unsuccessful due to bad climate conditions; however, as a result of the technical studies conducted in 1917 by Mr. Ali Riza Erten, who was a botanist and Acting Director of Halkali Agriculture Vocational School, the necessary approval has been obtained from Turkish Parliament to grow tea in Rize on February 16, 1924, and thereby the foundations of today’s tea farming has been laid (see: http://www.rize.gov.tr/rize-cayi). The tea farms in Türkiye is the only area where it snows and the tea farms on high hills of Türkiye are covered in snow during winter, as a result of which bacteria cannot survive; therefore, it is not even necessary to use any pesticide.
For some reason, Rize Tea could be registered as a Geographical Indication on in 2021. As mentioned in the certificate of registration, Rize Tea needs to be shipped to facilities and processed as soon as possible after harvest. Otherwise, tea leaves might lose its edge.
Rize Tea, which has been used in advertisements and has become associated with Turkish hospitality on the part of many tourists, has been protected by a Geographical Indication registration since 2021. Now, there is a pending Geographical Indication application for Rize Tea, filed on January 5, 2024 in the European Union, and with its name and rich culture, Rize Tea is ready to become famous in the European Union too.
