International Tea Day: Let’s Have ‘Chai Pe Charcha’!

Tea is the most popular beverage in our country. For most of us, the morning does not begin until we have the first sip of the choicest tea concoction, our cup of ‘Chai’. It is more of an emotion for so many people and is a daily ritual in every household of our country. Tea is known as an all-season beverage that can lift the mood and energy in no time. The first cup is sacrosanct with many more to follow and if it is winter, it is “chai before chai and chai after chai”.

Each household has a distinct method of making tea – while some enjoy it with less milk or more milk, others like it all black and some people enjoy their tea with a pool of spices and herbs such as ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom. The tea culture in India has evolved with changing trends and preferences. Be it as a stress reliever or during a celebration, tea has a demand in every sector. Tea is the world’s most-consumed drink, right after water. As for tea lovers, they can have their cuppa even at midnight.

On this International Tea Day, we have got you some interesting facts about this beverage.

• It is believed that tea originated in the Yunnan region during the Shang dynasty (1,600 BC-1,046 BC) as a medicinal drink and it came to the fore as a popular beverage in the 17th century in Britain. The Britishers then introduced its production in India to challenge the Chinese monopoly.

• A study by the Tea Board of India says that about 80 percent of tea drinkers in India consume tea either with or before breakfast. Tea is regularly consumed in about 64 percent of homes in India.

• The season’s quality tea production starts in May in most of the tea producing countries. In 2019, the United Nations (UN) declared May 21 as International Tea Day on the recommendation of India.
• Earlier, December 15 was observed as International Tea Day in the tea producing nations – Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda, India and Tanzania.
• India accounts for 23% of the total tea production of the world and India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of black tea in the world.
• It takes around 2,000 tiny leaves to make just one pound of tea and there are around 3,000 different types of tea.
• All teas like black tea, white tea, green tea and oolong tea come from the same plant – Camellia Sinensis. The oldest tea tree, in China, is 3,200 years old.