Tea or chai? Celebrating International Tea Day
Tea is the second most popular drink in the world after water. To celebrate the drink’s cultural heritage, health benefits and economic importance, the United Nations has declared May 21 as International Tea Day.
Tea plays a significant role in many societies, offering a rich choice of aromatic flavors from all over the world. Tea is also valued for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Although the exact origins of tea are unknown, it is believed to have originated from northeastern India, northern Myanmar and southwestern China, according to the UN. There is evidence that tea was consumed in China some 5,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest beverages in the world.
How do you say tea around the world?
Around the world, almost all words for tea can be derived from the root words “cha” or “te”.
In many parts of South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the word for tea is derived from cha.
- In Mandarin: 茶 (chá)
- In Arabic: شاي (shāy)
- In Turkish: cay
- In Hindi: चाय (chāi)
In Western Europe many countries use a derivative of te, for example ‘tea’ was introduced into the English language as a result of trade routes in the East. The word originated in China, where it was pronounced “too” in the Hokkien dialect.
- In English: tea
- In French: de
- In Spanish: te
- In German: tee
Who produces the most tea worldwide?
The tea plant is mostly grown in warm tropical and subtropical climates where cultivation and processing support the livelihoods of millions of people.
According to the latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more than 6.5 million tons of tea will be produced worldwide in 2021. The Far East was responsible for the production of 80 percent (5.3 tons) of all the world’s tea.
China produces nearly half of the world’s tea (47 percent), with some 3 billion tons produced by 2021. India is the second largest tea producer, accounting for 20 percent (1.35 million tons) of the world’s tea, followed by Kenya with more than 8 percent of global production.
Sri Lanka, Turkey, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Argentina are among the top 10 tea producing countries around the world.
How much tea is consumed worldwide every day?
Drinking tea is very common in many countries, including China, which consumed more than 2.7 million tons of tea in 2021, followed by India (1.1 million tons) and Turkey (0.3 million tons).
Pakistan, Russia, the United States, Egypt, Japan, Bangladesh and Indonesia complete the top 10 tea consuming countries in 2021.
How do you make different types of tea?
Drinking tea has cultural significance all over the world, from a sign of hospitality to the peculiar methods by which different teas are made.
Below are some techniques for making famous teas from around the world.
Masala chai
Masala chai is a popular spiced tea common in South Asia. The milky tea is known for its rich and aromatic flavours. India is known for its street vendors or chai wallahs, which line the streets.
Turkish tea
Turkish tea, also called cay, is made in a caydanlik, a two-tiered teapot. The top pot is for the black tea leaves and the bottom part is for boiling water. Most Turkish tea is produced in the northeastern Black Sea region in Rize province due to its mild climate.
English tea
The British are notorious for drinking tea, although there is a national debate about who produces the best tea – PG Tips of Yorkshire Tea. According to a youGov tea tracker, more than 60 percent of Britons drink tea at least once a day.
Matcha tea
Matcha is a traditional Japanese green tea powder made by grinding whole tea leaves. Although matcha is known as a Japanese tea, it was brought to Japan from China. Matcha is high in catechins, an antioxidant known for its many health benefits.
Moroccan mint tea
Moroccan mint tea, also known as Maghrebi mint tea, is drunk in the Middle East and North Africa. Served in small, decorative glasses, the hot drink is a symbol of hospitality.
Yerba mate
Yerba mate is a traditional South American herbal tea that is drunk with a bombilla – a special kind of metal straw – from a drinking bowl or gourd. It is consumed communally, with people usually drinking from the same gourd.
