The Persian Tea House Hookah Lounge at 668 Davie Street in Vancouver, Sept. 24, 2024. John Mackie / PNG sun. Article content ...

At an Iranian's house, a pot of tea is always on the stove. When a guests shows up announced or unannounced, the first question is: would you like some tea?

"Iranian black tea was introduced about 200 years ago by the royal family, who brought it from India and encouraged cultivation in Iran's northern regions, which have the right climate," he says.

But he pined for his homeland, and set up a bit of Iran in his downtown Vancouver shop, the Persian Tea House. In his tiny space at 668 Davie St., visitors could smoke hookah pipes, ...