Because I was born in the U.S. and we are (for the most part) consumers of coffee, I was surprised to learn that after water, hot tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world. Another new learning experience was that tea has its origins in northeast India where it was used for mainly medicinal purposes.
It wasn’t until the Chinese Tang Dynasty that drinking tea for recreational purposes became commonplace, and traveling merchants helped to introduce the beverage to Europe in the 16th century.
Today tea has gone way past the term beverage to become a culture. Tea ceremonies are prevalent in both Chinese and Japanese traditions, and each has its own way of celebrating tea. In the U.K. tea is a daily drink - in Western cultures just about everyone has heard of or participated in an ‘afternoon tea’ served in beautiful porcelain cups and saucers alongside delicious cakes. Irish breakfast tea is my favorite as it’s fairly strong (usually because it is brewed longer). I love it with milk and sugar in the morning.
Although known for its strong coffees, Turkey is a large consumer of tea (it’s the country’s most commonly consumed hot beverage). Teas in Turkey are grown along the coast of the Black Sea, mostly in the Rize Province. Per Wikipedia, the per-capita consumption of Turkish tea exceeds 10 cups per day and 13.8 kg per year!
In Russia, Iran, India, and Turkey tea is brewed in a Samovar which is typically made from some type of metal (like copper, brass, tin, etc.). A Samovar is a large container with a tap near the bottom, and some of them are exceptionally beautiful, made from hammered copper or overlayed with colorful enamel patterns.
In Pakistan, both black and green teas are consumed regularly (green tea is known as kahwah, and black tea as sabz chai). What type of tea you consume is often linked to the region you are from; in the Pashtun belt of Balochistan, you usually drink green tea. In the Sindh region of Pakistan, you might drink your tea with milk and sugar, and in the northern regions of Chitral, they consume a Tibetan-style tea which is salty and buttery tasting.
During the reign of Queen Victoria, formal tea parties became all the rage, with her Majesty reportedly ordering “16 chocolate sponges, 12 plain sponges”, etc. for a tea party at Buckingham Palace. It didn’t take long before all the well-to-do in the U.K. followed suit and the formal tea party was born. In days of yore, those who served the afternoon tea were not to enter the room unless they were called for, reflecting the intimate nature of the afternoon tea. In other words, the guests could feel free to gossip at their leisure about those who were not present, without fear of the servants over-hearing and repeating what was said (I feel like there should be a lol emoji here).
In the U.S., tea is mostly consumed in iced form. And of course, in the Southern United States “Sweet Tea” is the thing although they go a bit overboard with the sugar (loved it as a kid, not so much as an adult).
Tea parties are a sweet idea for a children’s party and the concept is often used for adults to celebrate baby showers and wedding showers. A tea party can be as complicated or as simple as you choose; you can serve your guests a few varieties of tea with one sweet and one savory tea cake or sandwich, or you can go all out! Provide several different types of tea both caffeinated and non. Serve the tea with condiments such a lemon, milk, and sugar. Add munchies such as scones with clotted cream and lemon curd, finger sandwiches which can be made from anything you like (just cut them tiny, like fingers), and sweets such as pastry, cupcakes, or chocolate-covered fruits.
National Hot Tea Day is celebrated on January 12 – it’s the perfect excuse to break out that tea service you never use (or have always wanted to buy) and plan a little tea party.
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