Tea Around the World

Tea has been around for a long time, and it has been adapted in different ways in different places and has become a key component of everyday life for many people. In different places, the ways of preparing and drinking tea are very diverse.


Starting with the most boring - America. Very little proper appreciation for tea here. 80% of the tea consumed in the USA is cold, iced tea, and any hot tea is mostly black with milk and/or sugar added. Tea isn't an especially popular drink here, most people preferring coffee.


Now, Britain and Ireland. This is one of the top places for tea - drinking in the world. Black tea was the most popular here for a long time, but more recently green and herbal teas have become more sought - after. Britain actually was the first place to try putting milk into tea - and this is one of the most popular ways to consume tea now. Afternoon Tea, the light meal between breakfast and dinner, was created focusing on the tea that was drunk with the meal and this was a huge tradition for many years in Britain and still is to a certain extent.
Ireland especially consumes huge amounts of tea for its size, well over 46 billion cups per year (and I'm only responsible for like half of that). Irish tea is often served stronger than tea in Britain.




Tea is also one of the most popular drinks in India. Darjeeling tea is widely consumed in India, and is considered to be one of the best teas in the world. Indians also consume a lot of black tea, normally with lots of milk, a tradition remaining from the British colonial rule over India. Sometimes spices are also added. Tea is often served with biscuits which are dipped in the tea and eaten before drinking the tea. This is done all over the world now but is thought to have started in India.




And now for China, the 'home' of tea. The tea ceremony in China may be conducted for any number of reasons: to apologise to someone, to express thanks and appreciation for something, as part of a family gathering,the list goes on and on. The ceremony must be conducted in utter peace and in a harmonious environment. The host and participants smell, drink and appreciate all the flavours of the tea. The ceremony symbolises the need to appreciate every time tea is drunk and to find beauty in everything, following Chinese philosophy. Tea is also used in Chinese medicine and cooking.




Finally, the Japanese tea ceremony. In Japan, the tea ceremony is also called the 'Way of Tea'. It is more strict in Japan than in China. It is ideally conducted in a specially - built tatami room in the house of the host. However not everybody has access to one of these so it may be performed in other areas that are equipped for the ceremony. The Japanese ceremony is about focusing yourself on the tiny details in life and perfecting them to induce harmony and tranquility among the participants in the ceremony. This tea ceremony is not conducted much any more as is is a long process needing very exact attention to detail. Not many people have the time to do this every day any more, so it is kept for very special occasions and such. However some people go to special tea schools to perfect the art of tea and hosting a tea ceremony.