Tea Around the World
China
China is the homeland of tea, and it has been drunken thousands of years by all classes of society. According to legend, it was discovered by Chinese inventor Shen Nong in the year 2737 BC. The Han dynasty drank tea for medicinal purposes. Back in these times, tea was compressed into cakes, then ground in a stone mortar, then hot water was added. The Chinese started producing tea as we know it today (loose-leaf) in the 13th century, as they began to roast tea leaves, rather than steam them. The Ming court decided that loose tea was to be the official way, which led to an increase of its production.
Chinese tea is classified into white, green, oolong, black and red, and most Chinese tea is not exported. Green tea is the most popular. Chinese people consume tea throughout the day, but not during meal time.
United Kingdom
Afternoon tea is a common part of British and Scottish daily life. It is believed to have originated in the early 1800s by Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford. People in the UK commonly refer to 4:00-5:00 PM as “tea time,” even if they are not drinking tea. Common teas in the UK include Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast, Scottish Breakfast and Londonberry. They often put milk in their tea.
Visit the UK Tea Council for an idea of tea in British culture.
India
India is one of the largest tea producers in the world, and one of the world’s biggest tea drinking nations. Tea was first documented in India around 750-500 BC, but cultivation had been present for hundreds of years prior. India started producing tea for commercial use after the arrival of the British East India Company.
Turkey
Tea is present in all parts of Turkish society, and is available at any bazaar or commercial center. It is present at breakfasts, social gatherings and business meetings. It only began getting popular in the late 1800s, as it was a cheaper alternative to coffee. Tea is drank in small tulip-shaped glasses, usually with sugar, but never with milk.
Russia
Tea was introduced to Russia in 1579, as it was brought back from China by two travelers. It was difficult to get from Russia to China back then because of geography, so tea was not a popular good until the end of the 1700s. Russian tea is a strong, dark brew that has a lot of sweetener, which can be sugar, jam or honey. It is often heated in a large container called a samovar, and sipped from podstakanniki. The samovars usually have three different tea pots, so you can make different types of teas at the same time and keep them warm .