I thought that it would be great idea to modify the “Chai pe Charcha” to “Chai kee Charcha.” Arguably, there is no drink in the world which stirs up a teapot of emotions (wow), as tea. Those who claim, (and yes, such a tribe exists.), not to be enamoured by tea...well, let us say they are curious about it definitely! So, let us look at some wacky, chai ism facts about tea and who knows, our clan of chai lovers would increase.
Some interesting facts about this Terrific Drink. Our beloved Bharatvarsha is the second largest producer of tea in the world after China, including the famous Assam tea and Darjeeling tea. Tea is the 'State Drink' of Assam. Following this the former Planning Commission (renamed Niti Aayog) Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia had plans to officially recognise tea as the Indian "National Drink" in 2013.According to the ASSOCHAM report released in December 2011, India is the world's largest consumer of tea, consuming nearly 30% of global output. India is also the second-largest exporter of tea.
The practice of Ayurveda has resulted in a long-standing tradition of herbal teas. Traditional Indian kitchens have long utilised the medicinal benefits offered by various plants and spices such as holly, basil (Tulsi), cardamom(Elaichi), pepper (Kali mirch), liquorice (Mulethi), mint (Pudina), etc., and traditionally, teas made with these plant leaves or spices have been in use for centuries for maladies ranging from the serious to the trifling. Tea is also mixed with these traditional herbs. The taste of chai (sweet and milky) helps disguise the stronger and more bitter flavours of some of the medicinal additives, while others such as cardamom, clove and ginger add a pleasing flavour and aroma to the tea along with health benefits.
For many years, documentation of tea in India was lost in history. Records re-emerge during the first century CE, with stories of the Buddhist monks, Bodhidharma and Gan Lu, and their involvement with tea. Research, such as Robert Sealy's 1958 book A Revision of the Genus Camilla, suggests that tea is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. Commercial production of tea in India did not begin until the arrival of the British East India Company, at which point large tracts of land were converted for mass tea production.
Today, over 70% of domestic tea being consumed within India itself. The Indian tea industry has grown to own many global tea brands and has evolved to one of the most technologically equipped tea industries in the world. Tea production, certification, exportation, and all other facets of the tea trade in India is controlled by the Tea Board of India.
Tea cultivation in India has somewhat ambiguous origins. Though the extent of the popularity of tea in ancient India is unknown, it is known that the tea plant was a wild plant in India that was indeed brewed by local inhabitants of different regions. However, there is no substantial documentation of the history of tea drinking in the Indian subcontinent for the pre-colonial period. The Singpho tribe and the Khamti tribe, inhabitants of the regions where the Camellia sinensis plant grew native, have been consuming tea since the 12th century. It is also possible that tea may have been used under another name. Frederick R. Dannaway, in the essay "Tea as Soma", argues that tea was perhaps better known as "Soma" in ancient Indian history. The tea plant is native to East Asia and the Indian subcontinent, but the origins and history of tea are not precise. Many of the origin myths for tea are found in Chinese mythology, and the first verifiable records for tea consumption also point towards China.
Tea was introduced formally to Indians by the British. The British were determined to overthrow China's monopoly on tea, having found that Indian soil /weather was eminently suitable to cultivate these plants. So, they decided to develop a tea garden in India. It is said that Missionaries took tea to the Eastern part of our country to enjoy a personal preference… steaming hot cuppa tea.
Tea reached Europe in the 16th Century, but people were using ceramic teapots in Asia and the Middle East 11,000 years ago. According to legend, in 2732 BC Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea when leaves from a wild tree blew into his pot of boiling water.
Tea might be known as England's national drink, but it has a long and eventful history across the world. Did you know these tea facts? With a lot of research, I am adding to our delectable brew!
- Tea in England was originally an expensive product that only the elite could afford. Merchants and customers used little tea pots to assess that the tea they had ordered was up to the quality they were expecting.
- The tea clipper Cutty Sark’s hold could carry 10,000 tea chests at a time – that is enough to make 200 million cups of tea in one cargo!
- The art of reading tea leaves is called tasseography.
Queen Anne drank tea so regularly that she substituted a large bell-shaped silver teapot for the tiny Chinese tea pots. The earliest tea service dates from her reign. - During the 18th century tea gardens became popular. Ladies and gentlemen would take their tea together outdoors surrounded by entertainers. These tea gardens made tea all the more fashionable to drink, and they were important places for men and women to meet freely without scandal or criticism.
- In 1840, afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford. She would become hungry around four o'clock in the afternoon, and so the trend started.
- Teacups did not always have handles. At first, the English made cups without handles, influenced by the traditional Chinese tea bowls.
- Drinking tea is less likely to produce a ‘caffeine crash’ than drinking coffee. This is because the elevated levels of antioxidants in tea slow the absorption of caffeine, which results in a gentler increase of caffeine in your system and a longer period of alertness with no crash at the end.
- The famous tea ceremony of Japan is a Hallmark of the grace, spirituality, and culture of that beautiful country.
- The word Chai, used in our Indian languages comes from the word.... Chahaa... Ask any tea lover and he would say...anytime is teatime!!
I would summate by describing, rather graphically, my personal equation with Chai.... I had a total Dudu (ha ha... milk) and Ovaltine childhood. I Was emphatically informed that drinking tea would make me dark. Well, I used to look at my fair father, an avid tea drinker and wonder what happened! Then came the College days, Amchi Mumbai and Chai par research ki charcha! I was hooked. The cutting Chai and camaraderie concept so appealed to us Hostelites and that is when I realized tea is not a drink but soulful call of the spirit. It is a talkative buddy when one is solo and a wonderful counsellor too. Little wonder that 21st May is celebrated as International Tea Day, uniting those who swear by this Heavenly brew. Let's raise a Toast to Tea!
