Different countries have different tea cultures:
Morocco:
Touareg tea is the customary blend in this country.
Taiwan:
A high-calorie treat, its base is an iced tea with powdered milk, sugary syrup and the bubbles to which it owes its name are small balls of tapioca.
Tibet:
Po cha, the traditional tea of Tibet, is made by boiling a brick of black tea for hours.
Turkey:
The cay is served in small tulip-shaped clear glasses.
UK:
Tea in Britain is drunk daily, often many cups a day. Tea is not only the name of the beverage but also of a light meal.
Argentina:
Yerba Mate, or 'the drink of the gods', is a vitamin-packed green tea grown and drunk throughout South America.
China:
The traditional Chinese tea ceremony, Gongfu tea is a detailed process.
Egypt:
Tea is Egypt's national drink. Known as 'Shai', tea here is considered to be even greater than coffee.
India:
India is both a huge producer and consumer of tea. India is known for its masala chai that mix black tea leaves with spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom and pepper.
Japan:
The powdered green tea 'matcha' is the preferred blend. It is served with sweets to balance the bitter flavour.
International Tea Day 2017
Legend has it that the first cup of tea was brewed in 2737 BCE when dried leaves landed in a boiling cup of water served to the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. From then on, the idea of tea has spread throughout the world.
Now, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world after water.
International Tea Day is celebrated each year on December 15th. It is a perfect day for anyone who loves tea to show your gratitude and appreciation to those people who are involved in planting, processing and delivering this excellent beverage to all the people globally.
To express my gratitude for tea, I created a 9 block Instagram campaign to raise awareness. I discussed the topics of the origin of tea, type software teas and herbal infusions, teas native to different countries and wars.
All types of tea come from the same basic plant. The differences arise from growing conditions, processing and geography.
Tea can be divided into 5 broad categories: white, green, oolong, black and pu-erh.
Camellia sinensis is the plant used to make tea. It is grown throughout the world and each region's teas have distinct flavour profiles. This is known as terroir.
The plants are grown for their leaves and harvesting is done by hand. Rather than take all of the leaves, only the prime, top leaves are 'plucked'.
Tisane is a French word for 'herbal infusion'. Dried flowers, fruits, spices and herbs are steeped in boiling water with no actual tea leaves.
Historically, tisanes were consumed for medicinal reasons or for a caffeine-free alternative to tea, but it is beginning to find it's own popularity outside the tea world
Opium war:
Tea's discovery by the West gave birth to the world's largest and most powerful monopoly. The power of the British East India Company was derived from the West's unquenchable thirst for tea. While consumers in the West desired tea, they were unable to find anything China would have wanted to trade for it, until they discovered opium.
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The British East India Company grew this harmful, inexpensive crop in neighbouring India and traded it for Chinese tea. Because of its addictive nature, the demand for the drug spread rapidly. The British Tea Company's exploitative method of business ensured a practically endless supply of tea.
Merchandise
To promote the cause, I made and distributed badges and stickers about chai.
The first International Tea Day was observed in 2005, New Delhi, India. Since then, it is celebrated in the tea producing countries from all over the world. It includes Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Malawi, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, and Vietnam.
International Tea Day aims in raising the global attention of governments and citizens about the impacts of the global tea trade. The Day also brings out the problems faced by the workers and growers.
Celebrating International Tea Day is quite simple. Firstly you have to drink a cup of tea with your friends and family. Next, you can discuss the problems faced by tea plantations, producers, and consumers. You can even take a visit to the nearest hill station where tea is grown. Ask the people who are working there about their problems.