To tea or not to tea? That is the question
While many countries and empires have, over the centuries, adopted tea as a national favourite, legend has its origins rooted firmly in China
Love it or hate it, there is a day in the annual calendar dedicated to tea.
International Tea Day, which is observed on 21 May, was adopted by the United Nations in 2019 as a way of raising awareness of the long history and deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world.
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The goal of the day is to promote collective actions to implement activities in favour of the sustainable production and consumption of tea, and raise awareness of its importance in fighting hunger and poverty.
Since 2005, an annual tea day has been commemorated on 15 December in tea producing countries like India, Sri
Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda and Tanzania.
International Tea Day aims to draw global attention of governments and citizens alike to the impact of the global tea trade on workers and growers, and has been linked to requests for price support and fair trade.
History of tea
The story of tea begins in China. According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor was sitting beneath a tree while his servant was boiling drinking water when some leaves blew into the water.
A renowned herbalist, the emperor tried the infusion his servant had accidentally created.
The tree was a Camellia sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we call tea today.
Tea containers have been found in tombs dating from the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), but it was under the
Tang dynasty (618-906 AD) that tea became firmly established as the national drink of China.
Tea was then introduced to Japan by Japanese Buddhist monks who had travelled to China to study.
The brew has become a vital part of Japanese culture, as seen in the development of the Tea Ceremony.
Today, there are many assorted flavours of tea, with the likes of Earl Grey and Lady Grey becoming firm favourites of the British.
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