TeaWay

The project is co-financing by the Joint Operational Programme “Black Sea Basin 2014-2020”.

Tea is one of the oldest and the second most consumed drink in the world after water. Until the end of the 19th century, the production was concentrated in Asia, however, rising global demand for tea have led other countries to cultivate their own tea. Now, it’s produced in 40 countries around the world.

Today one of the main growing places is around the Black Sea. Tea arrived in this region through various routes. To grow it in the Black Sea Region took even more time. The Mongols and merchants along the Silk Road were those who introduced tea to the Russians, Turks and Persians, as well as the people of Kyrgyzstan,Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan etc. Around the turn of the 20th century and after numerous attempts, tea began to be grown in
the mountains between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. The climate of the Black Sea coast is suitable for numerous agriculture activities and products. The mild, damp oceanic climate of the Black Sea coast makes commercial farming profitable which is also beneficial for tea plantations. However tourism takes the largest share, agriculture is still one of the most important sector for Turkey. The farmland occupies 33.2% of the total land, and farmers contribute about 30% of the total labor force.

The tea plantations today extend along the south shore of the Black Sea between Trabzon and Rize and are home to a cooperative style of tea-growing. In Armenia for over 7000 years, the tradition of gathering and blending wild herbs and flowers has been an integral part of the daily life. As a result of ethno-botanical research and ancient manuscript studies are shown that about 68 specialty infusions of herbs and flower that were used by Royal Families being in charge of Armenia since ancient time by the end of Middle Ages. Five percent of Armenia’s resources are used in the production of herbal tea. Those unique herbal ingredients came from high mountain wild forest by help of well-trained harvesters and made your delicious final cup of tea.

Greek Mountain Tea is produced from the dried leaves and flowers of Sideritis plants (iron wort). This kind of tea is appropriately named as the plant can only be found on rocky slopes at elevations over 3,200 feet (1000 meters). Mountain tea in Pilima, a village near Xanthi is one of the most famous mountain tea of Greece.

Finally in Bulgaria Rila and the Rhodopes are famous with
their rich flora and fauna. In the highland fields of the south Rhodopes the famous Mursal tea grows. Mursalski tea is made using the dried leaves and flowers of Sideritis plants (iron wort). It is clear from the above description that tea represents both a cultural link between the nations of the Black Sea Area and an agricultural product which can generate sustainable economic growth. The present project aims to strengthen the cultural link and to enhance the respective capacities to better capture the economic growth potential given by the tea.