Having a beverage together is the bedrock of familial and social interaction. Many families bond over that hot cup of tea each day. Or a tentative romance may start out around coffee. Love for tea is the reason so many are employed and so many others get to take breaks in the middle of the workday. People are passionate about the right and wrong way to make tea but when it is International Tea Day, tea lovers of the world unite.
Friday, 21 May was International Tea Day. It is a day meant to celebrate tea and raise awareness of the economic and cultural significance of tea around the world.
India has a robust tradition of tea-drinking with some amazing local variations.
People who love tea find comfort in the taste, fragrance and familiarity of the beverage.
For many of us, tea is ‘me-time’ when one relaxes and unwinds in a fave spot of the home.
Not only are there regional variations in tea, but there are also personal tweaks that people use.
Someone like me who tolerates rather than enjoys tea, tends to miss out on a lot of tea-related camaraderie. Tea lovers don’t quite understand this.
…For tea. And it does!
Cold, stomach ailment, cough, headaches and all other pains can be soothed by that cup of tea.
It is a feeling, a mood!
In some cultures such as in Japan, tea drinking is an elaborate social ritual. Tea lovers also like to enhance the experience with fine tea, pretty accessories etc.
For some, the sophisticated tea service is irrelevant. Nothing but good old Indian chai will do!
Some believe this is the right way to drink tea. Others are like no thank you.
…For the day
It is fuel – it energises and regenerates.
Tea drinking is so central to our society that it is frequently used as a trope in popular culture such as in movies.
Tea is the beloved drink of crores in India and all over the world. Is it any wonder that International Tea Day has so many who celebrate it?
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