National Tea Day

National Tea Day

Tea is the world's second most popular drink (after water!). In the UK, you can even celebrate drinking it on 21 April.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the article and do the exercises.

Preparation

If you've ever spent time in the UK, you'll surely have had a nice 'cuppa'. There's tea for breakfast, tea during break time, tea when visiting a friend's house, tea to wake up, tea to relax ... you get the idea. Tea even gets its very own special day in the UK, 21 April.

Is the UK the 'capital' of tea?

In short, no. While drinking tea is certainly a centuries-old tradition in the UK, many countries have their own strong cultural practices involving tea. The nation which drinks most tea is Turkey, where a 2013 survey showed that people drank an average of ten cups a day! This was followed by Ireland, with the UK coming in third place. Other countries with an obsession with tea include Iran, Russia and Morocco. It is also a popular drink in China and India, where most of the world's tea is grown.

What do the British consider to be tea?

Many forms of tea exist around the world. Green tea is popular in China and Japan. In India, tea is often prepared with spices and boiled in both water and milk, and Tibetans commonly drink tea with butter and salt. In the UK, tea is typically a variety of black tea and can be prepared with loose tea or teabags. It is made with boiling water, allowed to brew for about five minutes and then mixed with a little milk (and possibly some sugar). And thus, the perfect British cuppa is ready!

Milk: before or after the tea?

Despite the fact that tea has been popular in the UK for hundreds of years, the question of when to add the milk is one which still provokes many an argument! Most people first pour the tea into the cup, then add the milk, but others disagree. It is said that this was a way for the rich to show off their wealth. They often drank tea in porcelain cups, and it was only the better-quality porcelain that could withstand the temperature of very hot tea. This meant that people who had lower-quality cups needed to first pour the milk so that the cup wouldn't break.

What is a tea party?

Many cultures have traditions of people meeting to sit together and drink tea. For example, Japanese tea ceremonies can be formal, elegant affairs which last for hours. In the UK, such gatherings range from formal to very informal. The most famous British 'tea' stereotype is probably afternoon tea, where people dress formally and meet in hotels or cafés to enjoy tea and cakes, all served on beautiful fine porcelain. Nowadays, going out for a formal afternoon tea is rare, and people will more often simply have a nice cup of tea and some biscuits with friends or family, catching up round the kitchen table.

What happens on National Tea Day?

On 21 April, tea parties are held in cafés, pubs, hotels and tea rooms across the UK. Many of these events aim to encourage people to try different varieties of tea and to appreciate how drinking it with others can enrich their lives. Some of these events also promote sustainably produced tea and better prices and working conditions for farmers, while others raise funds for different charities from the sales. However people observe this special day, it's about appreciating the opportunity that sharing a cup of tea gives to people to connect with one another.

Want to know more about tea celebrations this April? Search for #NationalTeaDay on social media. And remember, tea-drinking isn't just for April – it's always the right time for a delicious cuppa.

Discussion

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Submitted by almabdullah88 on Thu, 30/05/2019 - 17:34

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It is a great story for Tea. For me, I prefer drinking English Tea in the morning.
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Submitted by Anaitat on Sat, 20/04/2019 - 08:32

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In my country tea is still remaining an essential part of local consumer's lives, is widely available, offering a wide variety of products in modern retailers and on trade. Both offered in the market sorts of tea as national as imported encourage people to try different varieties of tea and to appreciate how drinking it with others can enrich their lives. Tea continued to be impacted by health and wellness trend and people pay attention to what they consume. This is leading to growing interest in healthier tea options such as fruit or herbal and green, white or orange tea, which ate perceived as healthier options, too. Nowadays in my country are very popular Chinese teas, made from the leaves plants. As in UK people will more often simply have a nice cup of tea in different ways and some biscuits with friends or family, catching up round the kitchen table.

Submitted by Bergström on Mon, 15/04/2019 - 22:30

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The History of the Tea begins for the British 1662 more precisely, when Catherine of Braganza, daughter of King John IV and D. Luísa de Gusmão of Portugal, married King D. Charles II of England. D. Catarina became Queen Conste of the Kingdom of England, Scotland and Ireland and a very important woman. In 1662 He traveled to London carrying in the suitcase, among his belongings, tea leaves. Never forget that. XD

Submitted by Julia75 on Fri, 12/04/2019 - 08:57

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Nice story and nice tradition. In my country, Russia, people still drink a lot of tea and it also unites them.