PHOTO: DAILY MAIL
While people in Pakistan are often only familiar with doodh patti, elaichi chai, Kashmiri tea and green tea, there is a wide variety of tea traditions around the world that many are probably unaware of. On National Tea Day, here is a list of six different tea rituals, compiled from World Tea News.
1. Japan: The matcha ceremony
PHOTO: FILEIn Japan, tea is an important part of the food culture. Even though the diversity of tea is quite big in this part of the world, when someone mentions the word “tea” without specifying the type, it’s green tea that they’re probably referring to. The ceremony of tea is known as matcha, which consists of serving green tea to a small group of people in one of those popular teahouses. For those who want to live the real tea experience, take a flight to Tokyo and don’t miss the chance to visit one of the city’s most popular tearooms.
2. Morocco: Mint tea, the heart of the culture
PHOTO: FILEIt is almost impossible to spend 24 hours in a Moroccan city and not be served hot tea. Touareg tea or Moroccan mint tea lies at the heart of their culture. Strongly linked to the act of hospitality, the mint tea is served to guests three times with each glass meaning a different thing – Life, love and death. Of course, all of them have to be consumed. Do you fancy a Moroccan tea? You will only need a large quantity of hard sugar, five teaspoons for every spoon of fresh tea and of course, mint, the essential ingredient.
3. New Zealand: The tea-break
According to historians, New Zealand imported considerable amounts of tea in the 19th century, with the arrival of the British missionaries. Today people experiment with other types of tea like the Japanese green tea, blends like earl grey and Chinese teas such as oolong. Like in America, the interest for this drink comes from the tea’s reputation and its health benefits. New Zealand’s only commercial tea plantation is called Zealong, which launched its first products in 2009.
4. China: The dynasty of tea
For the Chinese, tea is synonymous to life. They were the first to discover the tea leaf and have been drinking tea ever since. Because of the geographic climate, many locations across the country cultivate different types of tea. The art of making tea is called “Cha dao”, which was soon accepted as one of the most important cultures that Japan learned from China. The only national museum in China can be found in Hangzhou, where there is a detailed description of the historic development of tea culture in China.
5. Russia: Zavarka for guests
PHOTO: FILEThere are two things that Russians love most: Vodka and tea. The history of this country tells us that it was along the Bolsheviks’ victory during the Civil War that soldiers and industrial workers started to get free tea, which until that point was considered an upper class product. Today most Russians enjoy what they call Zavarka, a very strong tea prepared in a separate tea pot that allows hosts to serve the guests in several rounds. If you ever travel to Russia, don’t hesitate to have your tea with a piece of cake, as it is considered quite rude to serve the tea “naked”.
6. Argentina: The mate experience
PHOTO: FILEPeople often say that if you want to know Argentina well, you need to try its meat, its wine and its mate. Yerba mate is the national drink of one of the most amazing countries in South America and the truth is that it’s more than just a drink. It’s also a way of life. Even though it’s not really tea (it grows on a bush), whoever travels to this country will find out that people drink it at any time of the day. The more you drink it, the strongest the after-taste.
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