‘Rize tea’ gets geographical indication

RİZE

The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office has registered the tea produced in the Black Sea province of Rize as a “geographically indicated product” after 98 years from its first production in 1924.

“Companies that want to use the registration emblem have to fulfill some quality parameters for the entire production and packaging process,” said Mehmet Erdoğan, the head of Rize Commodity Exchange, which applied for registration.

He pointed out that the criteria include extract, moisture content, water dissolution, and taste and color, for which the figures were determined and a lower limit was set.

The products that meet the quality limit will be given the right to use geographical registration indication, while this practice will carry the quality upwards, Erdoğan said.

“We can say that it is the most comprehensive work on Turkish tea to date. Being able to do this is a source of pride for us,” Erdoğan said.

“With the registration, we will ensure that the perception of Turkish tea in the world, especially Rize tea, goes up,” he added.

A citizen working in a tea house in Rize said, “You cannot stop yourself from having this tea once you take a sip. From now, we will drink registered Rize tea.”

Tea agriculture, which started with the planting of tea seeds brought from Georgia’s Batumi province in 1924, has spread to the northern provinces of Trabzon, Artvin, Giresun and Ordu, as well as Rize.

Rize tea is a type of black tea that grows in a mild climate with high precipitation and fertile soil. When brewed, it changes to mahogany in color.

Rize is located between the Pontic Mountains and the Black Sea and is considered the “wettest” corner of Türkiye. This environment provides a specific ecosystem for tea growing.