If there’s one drink you’ll find all around the world, it’s tea. This time-honored brew is steeped in both historical and cultural influences, and you’ll find the traditions surrounding tea offer unique cultural insights. Take a look at how tea is enjoyed around the world with this guide.
England
England is well known for its prominent tea culture, which often conjures up images of high tea with cups and saucers. Tea has long been a part of British culture, often centering around the black, darjeeling and Earl Grey varieties. British tea drinkers often opt for a spot of sugar and milk in their teas, and afternoon tea is usually served with scones and jam. While the British custom of afternoon tea is known around the world, the Brits actually tend to drink several cups of tea throughout the day.
China
Green tea is the drink of choice in China, where whole leaves are steeped and often left in your cup as you consume this healing drink. In China, the customs surrounding tea are considered an art. Pouring tea for one’s elders, for example, can be regarded as expressing respect, thanks or regret. Coming together to drink tea is also a common way for families to reconnect. If you’re visiting the country, you can experience a traditional tea ceremony at a local teahouse and see just how much respect and dedication go into pouring a traditional cup of tea. You’ll also find local Chinese medicine doctors often use green tea as a treatment for various ailments.
India
The world’s top tea producer (and consumer) is best known for its dark and spicy tea varieties, including darjeeling and chai (made famous around the world, in part, by Starbucks). But India’s tea culture goes back much farther than its history with Starbucks. Herbs have been boiled and consumed for their medicinal effects for centuries as part of Ayurvedic practices, and the local wild tea plants enticed the English to begin producing and exporting Indian teas in the early 19th century. Today, tea is often boiled with spices like cardamom and sugar, as well as milk. If you’re looking to enjoy a cup of local tea while in India, you’re sure to find a tea stall around every corner where you can get your fix.
Thailand
Many places around the world take their tea hot, but not Thailand. Tea in this Southeast Asian country is almost always served ice cold. Known as Thai iced tea or cha-yen, this local drink takes strong and dark ceylon tea and blends it with condensed milk and sugar to create a refreshing take on tea. You’ll find Thai iced tea all throughout Thailand, and many places also offer it with tapioca pearls (known as “boba” or bubble tea).
(Main image: modomatic)
