What it means
استکان (estakân) is a small, tulip-shaped or straight-sided glass tumbler used for drinking Persian tea. The word is a loanword from Russian стакан (stakan, meaning drinking glass), which entered Persian through Caucasian and trade contacts in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is distinct from a لیوان (livân), which is a taller, wider drinking glass used for water or cold beverages. The استکان is specifically associated with hot tea served in the Iranian tradition.
How to use it
- یه استکان چای برام بریز. (ye estakân châyi barâm beriz.) “Pour me a glass of tea.”
- استکانا رو بذار تو سینی. (estakânâ ro bezâr tu sini.) “Put the tea glasses on the tray.”
- چاییم تو استکان سرد شد. (châyim tu estakân sard shod.) “My tea got cold in the glass.”
- این استکانا خیلی قشنگن. (in estakânâ kheyli qashangan.) “These tea glasses are very pretty.”
Cultural note
The استکان is more than a vessel in Iranian culture: it is the standard way Persian tea is served in homes, tea houses, and offices. The glass is typically small, allowing tea to be drunk while still hot. In traditional settings, a قند (sugar cube) is held between the teeth and the tea is sipped through it, a custom called قند-پهلو (qand-pahlu). The clarity of the glass also allows one to judge the color and strength of the brew at a glance.