tea revives the world
DESCRIPTION
Tea infographic providing information on the history, culture, varieties and global distribution of tea.TRANSCRIPT
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AUSTRALIA
CHINA
MONGOLIA
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
SOUTH AFRICA
LESOTHO
SWAZILAND
BOTSWANANAMIBIA
ZIMBABWE MOZAMBIQUE
MAD
AGAS
CAR
ANGOLA
ANTARCTICA
ZAMBIA
TANZANIA
KENYADEM REPof CONGO
(ZAIRE)REP
of C
ONGO
MALAWI
RÉUNION(FRANCE)
MAURITIUS
RWANDA
CYPRUS
ARMENIA
AZERBAIJAN
TURKMENISTAN
UZBEKISTANGEORGIA
LEBANON9
SYRIA
JORDAN
SRILANKA
(CEYLON)
MALDIVES
U.A.E.
QATAR
ERITREA
DJIBOUTI
BHUTANKUWAIT
BRUNEI
BANGLADESH
TIBET
TAJIKISTAN
KYRGYZSTAN
NEPAL
MALAYSIA
SINGAPORE
EASTTIMOR
NEWZEALAND
SOLOMONISLANDS
VANUATU
FIJI
NEW CALEDONIA(FRANCE)
PAPUANEW
GUINEA
INDONESIA
VIETNAM
TAIWAN
PHILIPPINES
JAPAN
NORTH KOREA
SOUTH KOREA
CAMBODIA
LAOS
THAILAND
MYANMAR
(BURMA)
BURUNDI
GABONEQUATORIALGUINEA
CAMAROON
CENTRAL
AFRICAN REPUBLIC
UGANDA
YEMENOMAN
SOMALIAETHIOPIA
SUDAN
INDIA
IRAN
KAZAKHSTAN
TURKEY
IRAQ
SAUDIARABIA
PAKISTAN
AFGHANISTAN
CHAD
NIGERIA
GHANA
CÔTE
D’IVOIRE
TOGO
SENEGALTHE GAMBIA
GUINEA-BISSAU
SIERRALEONE
CAPEVERDE
WESTERNSAHARA
SPAIN
CANARYISLANDS(SPAIN)
PORTUGAL
GIBRALTAR
IRELAND
ICELAND
GREENLAND(DENMARK)
CANADA
ALASKA(US)
UNITED STATESOF AMERICA
MEXICO
WALES
SCOTLAND
NORWAY
SWEDEN
FINLAND
ENGLAND
1 GERMANY POLAND
LITHUANIALATVIA
DENMARK
AUSTRIA
5CROATIA
6 7
4
8
HUNGARYROMANIA
MACEDONIA
ALBANIA
GREECE
BULGARIA MOLDOVA
BELARUS
UKRAINE
SWITZ.
MALTA
ITALY
TUNISIA
3
CORSICA (FR)
SARDINIA (IT)
CZECH REP.
NETH.
2
BENIN
LIBERIA
BURKINA
FASOGUINEA
MALIMAURITANIA
NIGER
ALGERIA
MOROCCCO
LYBIA
FRANCE
EGYPT
UK
BELIZE
GUATEMALA
EL SALVADOR
HONDURAS
NICARAGUA
COSTA RICA
ECUADOR
HAWAII (US)
SAMOA
TONGA
URUGUAY
FALKLAND ISLANDS(UK)
PERU
PANAMA
COLUMBIA
VENEZUELA
THEBAHAMAS
CUBA
JAMAICA
GUYANA
SURINAMEFRENCH GUINEA
(FRANCE)
CARIBBEANISLANDS
HAITI
DOMINICANREPUBLIC
PUERTO RICO (US)
BERMUNDA (UK)
BRAZIL
BOLIVIA
ARGE
NTIN
A
CHIL
E
PARAGUAY
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PACIFICOCEAN
PACIFICOCEAN
NORTHATLANTIC
OCEAN
ARCTIC OCEAN
ARCTIC OCEAN
SOUTHATLANTIC
OCEANINDIANOCEAN
BELGIUMLUXEMBOURGLIECHTENSTEINSLOVAKIASLOVENIABOSNIA & HERCEGOVINIASERBIA & MONTENEGROESTONIAISRAEL & THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIESANDORRAMONACO
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180 0’0” 150 0’0” W 120 0’0” W
Antarctic Circle
Arctic Circle
Tropic of Cancer
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CHINA: ORIGINS & MYTH
The second of China’s San Huang, the mythical emperors and forefa-
thers of Chinese civilisation was a healer named Shen Nung. According
to legend, Shen Nung had the head and horns of a bull and the body of a
man; he was born in the twenty-eighth century B.C.E. (Before Common
Era) to a beautiful young princess who was possessed by a heavenly
dragon. He also studied herbs and developed many herbal remedies.
During an expedition through the south of China, while setting up
camp, the emperor’s aides were boiling some water for drinking in a pot
when a sudden wind blew down from the nearby hills blowing some
leaves into the pot. Being the herbalist that he was the emperor decided
to try the tasty concoction and felt revived and refreshed. The leaves
were that of the tea bush and humanity received the delightful gift of tea.
ENGLAND: AFTERNOON TEA
Tea mania swept across England as it had earlier spread throughout
France and Holland. Tea importation rose from 40,000 pounds in 1699
to an annual average of 240,000 pounds by 1708. Tea was drunk by all
levels of society. Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, the English
had two main meals; breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and
beef. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day. It was no
wonder that Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788–1861) experienced
a “sinking feeling” in the late afternoon. Adopting the European tea
service format, she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon
meal at five o’clock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centered
around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and,
of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess
continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends
asking them to join her for “tea and a walking the fields.” (London
at that time still contained large open meadows within the city.) The
practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly
picked up by other social hostesses. A common pattern of service soon
merged. The first pot of tea was made in the kitchen and carried to the
lady of the house who waited with her invited guests, surrounded by
fine porcelain from China. The first pot was warmed by the hostess from
a second pot (usually silver) that was kept heated over a small flame.
ASSAM & DARJEELING
Long before the British began commercial production of tea in India in
the late eighteen thirties, a native variety of the tea plant was growing in
the wild jungles of North East Assam and being used in brews by the
locals. During the early nineteenth century, the East India Company
had a monopoly on the tea trade and all tea was coming from China. It
wasn’t until 1833 when the company lost its monopoly that it consid-
ered the possibility that India’s climate was perfect for the cultivation
of tea and that it may make a profitable alternative to grow tea in India.
Perhaps because they where unaware or suspicious of the indigenous
varieties of tea already growing in India, they insisted on importing
the Chinese variety of tea seeds. Because of the harsh conditions the
Chinese tea seedlings struggled to survive while the native Assam plants
flourished. The native plants were harvested and sent back to London in
1838 and were very well received and the Assam variety became widely
harvested throughout India. The town of Darjeeling in the foothills of
the Hima layas was one place where the Chinese variety of tea plant grew
well in the elevated conditions. Darjeeling still produces tea from the
Chinese variety plant and has traditionally been prized above all other
black teas especially by the British.
ROOIBOS: SOUTH AFRICAN BUSH TEA
The Rooibos or Redbush tea plant, the Aspalanthus linearis, is
indigenous only to South Africa’s Cederberg mountain region. The
hardy shrub-like bushes survive the cold temperatures in winter and the
draught, which is often prevalent in summer in this arid mountain area.
The region around Clanwilliam, 250km from Cape Town, is dominated
by the Cederberg Mountains and the tea plant only grows there because
of the microclimate of this region, which is located approximately
250km northeast of Cape Town. The needle-like tealeaves grow on
shrub like bushes, which are between 0.5 to 1.5 metres in height.
To harvest the leaves the workers cut off branches and then the leaves
get chopped, bruised and left in the sun to ferment. The leaves then
change in colour from green to amber and develop a distinctive sweet
aroma and flavour.
JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY
The first tea seeds were brought to Japan by the returning Buddhist
priest Yeisei, who had seen the value of tea in China in enhancing
religious mediation. As a result, he is known as the “Father of Tea” in
Japan. Because of this early association, tea in Japan has always been
associated with Zen Buddhism. Tea received almost instant imperial
sponsorship and spread rapidly from the royal court and monasteries to
the other sections of Japanese society. Tea was elevated to an art form
resulting in the creation of the Japanese Tea Ceremony (“Cha-no-yu” or
“the hot water for tea”). The best description of this complex art form
was probably written by the Irish-Greek journalist-historian Lafcadio
Hearn, one of the few foreigners ever to be granted Japanese citizen-
ship during this era. He wrote from personal observation, “The Tea
ceremony requires years of training and practice to graduate in art...yet
the whole of this art, as to its detail, signfies no more than the making
and serving of a cup of tea. The supremely important matter is that the
act be performed in the most perfect, most polite, most graceful, most
charming manner possible”.
BOSTON TEA PARTY
In the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, the British
parliament was charging heavy taxes on all tea trading in the British
Colonies. As a result of the tea tax, the American colonists refused to
buy the British tea and instead smuggled in tea from Holland. This left
the East India Company with warehouses full of unsold tea. In 1773 the
British parliament passed the Tea Act, which the American colonists
objected to particularly because they believed it violated their right to
be taxed by their own elected representatives. Through the tea act the
East India Company were able to undercut the Dutch tea smugglers
and regain their monopoly on the tea trade and once again control the
taxes. Outraged by this the American dockworkers refused to unload
the shipments of British tea from the Boston harbour. On December
16, 1773, a group of men calling themselves the Sons of Liberty went to
Boston Harbour dressed as Mohawk Indians and dumped forty-five
tons of British tea into the harbour. This is noted as one of the key
events leading up to the American Revolution.
WHITE TEAS
White tea is made from the immature buds of the
tea plant that are picked and processed before they
have had time to ‘ripen’ and develop many of the
characteristics that are generally associated with
tea. Due to their underdeveloped nature, they tend
to have much less caffeine than any of the other tea
varieties. They are not allowed to oxidize at all and
produce a pale liquor and are the most subtle of teas.
In poorer areas, where tea has been unaffordable
to some, guests have been served another kind of
‘white tea,’ which is simply hot water.
GREEN TEAS
Green tea is tea that has been allowed to mature and
has been picked, pan fired (or steamed) to stop the
oxidation process after a very short period.
The natural vegetal flavor of the leaf stands out and
often a green tea will have a subtle sweetness that
is lost when the tea is turned into a style such as
oolong or black tea. Green tea produces a greenish
to yellow liquor and can range in bouquet from
grassy to floral.
OOLONG TEAS
An oolong tea has been allowed to oxidize partially
and thus produces a more complex, darker liquor,
and sits on the scale between a green and a black
tea. An oolong can be slightly oxidized to very
oxidized depending on the variety of the tea. The
depth of character for an oolong ranges greatly and
is partially a result of the degree of oxidation, so
an oolong can end up being closer to a green tea,
or a black tea, depending on how it is produced.
The liquor produced, therefore, can range from a
greenish yellow, to a dark amber.
BLACK TEAS
Black tea has been allowed to oxidize fully before
being fired (dried), and the many chemical reactions
that have occurred produce a dark, very complex tea.
All of the vegetal qualities of the leaf are gone and
replaced with a depth of character unparalleled in
the food world. The liquor produced ranges from a
dark amber to a black that would rival coffee.
Compared to green tea, which usually loses its
flavour after within a year, black tea retains its
flavour for several years and has historically been a
major item of trade. Compressed bricks of tea have
even been used as a form of currency. Black tea ac-
counts for 90% of tea sold in the west. Many names
of black teas refer to the region they are grown in,
common types include; Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling,
Keenum and Lapsang Souchong.
TISANES (HERBAL TEAS)
A tisane or herbal tea is an infusion and not usually
made from the leaves of the tea bush. Typically a
tisane is the combination of boiling water with dried
fruits, flowers or herbs. Common tisanes include;
chamomile, peppermint, rooibos and rosehip.
BLENDED TEAS
There are many other sub varieties of tea, such as
Pu-erh, Kukicha, Genmaicha, and many blends like
the familiar Earl Grey. These teas run the gamut
of flavors and characters due to the conditions
under which they are produced, and the blending
of particular teas has a long and rich history in
western culture.
V A R I E T I E S O F T E AV A R I E T I E S O F T E A
Tea is the product of the Camellia Sinensis and its sub-varieties. The Camellia Sinensis, an ever-green plant native to China, takes on a variety of forms and grows between 15 and 20 metres in height. All of the main varieties of tea are derived from this one plant aside from tisanes or herbal teas which are infusions made from ‘non-tea’ items such as herbs. The differences between the main varieties of tea are a result of the maturity of the plant and the oxidization level.
Some of the most popular blended teas include
ENGLISH BREAKFASTEnglish Breakfast is a blend devised to suit the particular
tastes of the British. It is a full-bodied black tea and one
of the most popular blended teas in the world. It may
include teas from Assam, Ceylon and Kenya. English
Breakfast was developed by a Scottish tea master in
Edinburgh over 100 years ago and popularised by Queen
Victoria. It is particularly well suited to be mixed with
milk and sugar.
RUSSIAN CARAVANThe name Russian Caravan refers to the camel caravans
that would travel for many months to bring tea from
China to Russia. It is believed that the journey through
the cold climates of Mongolia and Siberia enhanced the
tea and Russian epicures believe that a peculiar delicacy
of flavour was imparted to it by the slight moisture it
absorbed when unloaded nightly and placed on the snow
covered steppes. Russian Caravan is a blend of Chinese
teas including Oolong, Keemun and Lapsang Souchong.
It can have a rather smoky flavour.
JASMINE Originating from the Song Dynasty, Jasmine is the most
famous scented tea in China. It is subtly sweet and usu-
ally made from green or white tea blended with jasmine
flowers. The jasmine plant grows at high elevation in
the mountains.
EARL GREYEarl grey is a tea that is blended with the oil extracted
from the rind of the bergamot orange. Traditionally only
a black tea, Earl grey can now refer to any type of tea that
contains the oil of bergamot. It is named after the British
Prime Minister, Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey.
MASALA CHAILiterally meaning spiced tea, Masala Chai is a blend
made by brewing tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian
spices. The word chai simply means tea in much of
South Asia. The simplest traditional method for making
masala chai is to simmer a mixture of milk and water with
loose tealeaves and whole spices. The solid tea and spice
resi dues are strained off before serving. There is no fixed
recipe or method for preparing masala chai and most
Indian families have their own versions. The tea base is
usually a strong black tea such as Assam. Traditionally
masala chai may include such spices as cardamom,
cinnamon, ginger, fennel seeds, peppercorn and cloves
and may also include almonds, saffron, nutmeg, rose
flavouring and liquorice root.
T E A R E V I V E S T H E W O R L DD R A G O N W E L L H O U S E
0 – 5,000
5,000 – 10,000
10,000 – 30,000
30,000 +
tea supply quantity (tonnes)** According to 2007 Food And Agriculture
Organization Of The United Nations results.
Please note: Data is organised by ‘total tea
supply quantity’, as to present a ‘per capita’
approach would exclude such tea giants as
China and India due to large population.
Therefore some countries that are big tea
drinkers but have a relatively small population,
such as Brunei, have been left out. The country
with the highest tea consumption per capita is
Paraguay.