International Tea Day

Esha

International Tea Day

If there is one thing we Indians cannot live without, it is without a doubt CHAI! There would be hardly any household in our country where you would go and would not find chai available. To us, it is more than a cup of tea. To us, it is an emotion.

Black tea leaves; Image source: liquidimagico

Tea holds a great significance, not only just in India but all across the world and which is why this beverage is savored and celebrated on a worldwide level. As being recognized as one of the world’s oldest beverages – the entire world celebrates its origin every year on 22nd May as INTERNATIONAL TEA DAY! This is because the tea production begins in May. The main aim of celebrating the tea day internationally is to make people aware of the health benefits chai has and to increase the consumption of tea all across the world.

Where does chai originate from? The use of chai was not the same as always. The way people prefer using chai has evolved completely from ancient days to the present days. It is believed that chai originated way back approximately 9000 – 5000 years ago. The people from ancient times did not use chai as a beverage people would start their day with but as medicine made by brewing herbs and spices which could have similarities to Kadha. The earliest version of chai known as ‘Shai’ contained tea leaves with different herbs depending on the season.

China has always been the largest tea producing country in the world with India being the second, but how does it all started? Earlier, China had a monopoly in the tea market in Great Britain. The British East India Company decided to break it by establishing tea plantations in Assam in the 1930s. It did affect the tea market of China. In the late 1800s, around 90% of the tea used in Great Britain was supplied by China but with the production of tea in India, it was reduced down to approximately 10%.

During that time, tea was slowly becoming popular in India. It was shifting from just medicinal use to daily use. First, black tea gained a little popularity in India but it was still not reaching many Indians as the prices were too high. The tea companies tried really hard to promote tea to local Indians. They even started ‘tea breaks’ to employees to make them familiar with the taste and to boost the production and sales of tea in India. The popularity of the beverage increased in the 1960s, the chai sellers started incorporating different spices, milk, and sugar, and just like that, Indians got their ‘Masala Chai’. Thus, making it a very important part of our culture.

Diversity rules the land of India, so how can one not have diversity in the most famous and loved beverage of India. From Masala chai to Kashmiri kahwa to healthy Green tea to a cutting chai. India offers you multiple interesting flavors of Chai to savor. If you ask an Indian, every day for them is Tea day.

In India, tea is not just a mere beverage – it is an emotion. For a lot of Indians, their day starts with tea and ends with it as well.

Chai is something which people bond over, their ‘Chai pe Charcha’ can last forever. Whether it's chilling winter or sweltering summer or a drizzling rainy day – chai fits in every season. There is no feeling better than having a piping hot cup of Masala Chai along with Garma-Garam pakode. It is a way of celebrating the monsoon in India.