Golestan (Pre-launch)
Introducing
Golestan means rose garden and takes its name from the celebrated 13th-century work by Persian poet Saadi. It is also the name of a province in northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea; the place where I was born and lived until I was seven.
That rose garden inspired me to create this beautiful blend. rose petals and ground cardamom are combined with green rooibos for an aromatic and naturally caffeine-free blend.
With Golestan, I wanted to bring together two things deeply woven into Persian culture: Saadi's centuries-old words and the daily tea ritual in Iran, as I remember it from my childhood.
A little piece of Iran in your glass... to slow down, come together and, above all, enjoy.
Green rooibos
Green rooibos provides the smooth, gentle base for Golestan. We chose it because it is naturally caffeine-free and has a mild flavour. In Iran, blends like Golestan are usually made with green or black tea. We decided to give ours a twist by using green rooibos instead, so you can enjoy it at any time of day, even in the evening.
The green rooibos we use for this blend is organic and naturally rich in antioxidants. And here's a little fun fact: green rooibos contains roughly twice as many antioxidants as regular, fermented rooibos.
Rose Petals
Organic Damask rose petals (Rosa damascena) give Golestan its delicate, floral flavour. The Damask rose holds a special place in Persian culture and has been cherished in Iran for centuries. Kashan, a city in central Iran, is renowned for its centuries-old tradition of harvesting roses for rose water, among other uses.
The rose petals beautifully complement the aromatic cardamom and delicate green rooibos. In traditional Persian medicine, they have been valued for centuries for their soothing properties.
Grounded green cardamom
Green (organic) cardamom gives Golestan its characteristic, aromatic flavour. I grind the cardamom myself to bring out its fresh eucalyptus notes. As soon as you open the package, you are greeted by its aromatic fragrance, so fragrant that you will almost want to keep smelling it.
Cardamom originally comes from India, but has been a popular ingredient in Iranian cuisine for centuries. It is used in desserts, biscuits and, of course, tea.
In India, there’s an age-old tradition of chewing on a cardamom pod after a meal, believed to aid digestion. Not quite your thing? Brew yourself a pot of Golestan instead – a lovely way to round off your meal.
Saadi's Rose Garden
For many Iranians, poetry is as natural and important as food. It is therefore no coincidence that we drew inspiration for our second product from the masterpiece of one of Iran's great classical poets: Golestan (The Rose Garden) by Saadi.
In Golestan, Saadi uses the rose garden as a metaphor for his book. Real flowers wither after a few days, but the stories, poems, and life lessons in his Golestan endure. He thus creates a rose garden of words and wisdom that remains:
'What good is a bowl full of roses?'
Take a leaf from my Rose Garden instead.
A flower lasts but five or six days,
but this Rose Garden will remain beautiful.'
Discover Golestan
The pre-launch edition of Golestan is currently available exclusively at our markets and at a number of selected retail locations. This gives you the chance to be one of the first to try one of Iran's most popular tea blends.
Golestan will be officially launched later in 2026. The blend will then feature new, Persian-inspired packaging and will be available in our webshop and at even more retail locations.
Can't wait for the official launch? Come and discover Golestan at one of our markets or at a selected retail location!