International Tea Day history of the holiday. International Tea Day! The history of International Tea Day

Every year on December 15, all countries that hold the status of the world's leading tea producers celebrate International Tea Day - a holiday of one of the oldest and healthy drinks on the ground.

And now, just in time for Friday...

Tea and alcoholic drinks

20 cups of tea were purchased. Each tsibik contained 5 poods, each pood had 40 pounds. Of the horses carrying tea, two died on the road, one of the drivers fell ill, and 18 pounds was scattered. The pound has 96 tea spools. The question is, what is the difference between cucumber pickle and bewilderment?

Anton Chekhov. Notes of a mad mathematician. They have nothing to do with the text.

Alcohol with tea can be consumed in two ways. The first way is to mix noble drinks. If you add a spoon or two of balsam, liqueur, rum, cognac to tea, you will get tea with balsam, liqueur, rum, cognac. And if you mix drinks (tea with rum, vodka or cognac) in approximately equal proportions, you get grog. Everything is very simple - and I won’t say another word about these “mixed” drinks. They are not very interesting to me.

Much more interesting is the second option for drinking tea with alcohol - combining (but not mixing) drinks. That is, drinking in which a cup is next to a glass - and you alternate drinks, enjoying the contrasts and mutual softening of tastes and aromas. It is in these softening contrasts that one of the most exquisite pleasures is hidden - and I sincerely advise you not to deny yourself it...

So, three drinks are most interestingly combined with tea: Benedictine, sherry and cognac. Let's deal with them in order.

Benedictine is a fairly simple drink. This is a strong, oily liqueur based on cognac, linden blossom and honey. It has a rather beautiful history (connected, like chartreuse, with monks), it contains (besides those listed) some tricky components, it is certainly tasty on its own - but all this is not particularly important now. And this is what matters.

Benedictine warms well. And in combination with tea it warms incredibly well. A small (60 milliliters) glass of this liqueur and a cup of plain black tea without sugar is the best winter drink combination. It is better to take a fairly thin tea (for example, Indian Darjeeling), because when combining tea with Benedictine, it is not the opposition of tastes that is valuable (who will kill whom), but their pleasant alternation. Thin black tea will, as it were, wash away the oiliness of the liqueur, leaving a sweet honey-linden aftertaste that goes well with both the taste and aroma of the tea itself. Moreover, you can drink all the liqueur at once and wash it down with tea, enjoying how the taste of the liqueur goes away, being replaced by the taste of tea. Or you can simply alternate drinks, taking alternate sips from a cup, then from a glass - and everything will also be very pleasant...

It is better to take sweet sherry, for example, “Harvey’s of Bristol Sherry”, in noticeable blue bottles (although tea also goes well with strong sherry). In principle, you can choose any tea to go with it - the main thing is that the tea is unflavored, unsweetened and with a rich taste. These drinks need to be alternated - sherry is not as strong as Benedictine or cognac, and is not as contrasting, so you can allow yourself to experiment with smooth transitions of tea-sherry flavors. In these transitions, you need to strive to ensure that the dusty oak notes of sherry first displace tea, and then are washed away by tea - and it’s very simple, sip by sip - tea, sherry, tea, sherry... What drink will you start this carousel of flavors with and what will you end with? - doesn't matter. The important thing is that you most likely will not limit yourself to one cup of tea and one glass of sherry.

In principle, tea can also be combined with Madeira - its qualities are a little similar to sherry. But Madeira is a little lighter, it doesn’t have that cool sherry dustiness, which is precisely the highlight of tea and sherry drinking.

And finally, cognac. It is cognac, in my subjective but repeatedly verified opinion, that is the best of alcoholic drinks in terms of compatibility with tea. The formula “tea - cognac - tea”, brought to your attention, is very functional and has several undoubted advantages.

First of all, it's extremely tasty. Secondly, it is very warm (which is very important for us in such a strange summer). Thirdly, this corresponds to both tea and cognac etiquette (which, of course, is a decent foppery, but if it is possible to comply with them, why not). Fourthly, it is very homely and cozy. Fifthly, cognac has a tea color, and tea has a cognac color. Sixthly, it is very pleasant to treat guests to tea and cognac - this adds sophistication to the visit, warmth to the conversations, and warmth to the owner. Seventh, it's very tasty. The circle is closed.

For such an event, it is better to choose good Darjeeling or weakly flavored black tea. Teas with lemon, orange or bergamot are suitable (only the flavoring should not be very strong). Or vanilla, which I wrote about in one of my recent columns. AND good cognac- I achieved the best results with “Rémy Martin V.S.O.P.”, “Sarajishvili” and “Egrisi” (let’s classify the last two drinks as cognacs - we are, after all, in Russia). While the kettle is boiling, you need to pour cognac into the glass - just a little so that the drink does not spill out of the glass placed on its side - and carefully roll the glass several times on the table. Cognac will cover the walls of the glass with a thin layer, its aroma will infuse in the thin glass and will tempt you.

Tea should be brewed in the usual way, but it is better to serve it in a transparent container - because of the color! Color in such tea drinking is no less important than aroma and taste. It’s probably worth putting a spoonful of sugar in a cup of tea - here and now it won’t hurt (if the tea is flavored, of course, there’s no need to spoil Darjeeling with sugar). Inhale the aroma of cognac again and drink tea. The first cup is a regular cup. The main thing is to drink it before the tea cools down considerably. And after drinking the tea, put the cup aside for a while and take a glass. Still feeling the slightly sweetened tartness of the tea infused with citrus or vanilla, you need to wash it down with the first - small and slow - sip of cognac. Hold the cognac in your mouth for a little while, as if washing away the tea flavors and aromas and noticing at the same time that the taste of the cognac is much softer than usual. With the second sip, slightly moisten your lips so that they begin to sting a little. And the third - finish the cognac and feel how the last - the strongest - wave of cognac aroma pours out of the glass after the last drops of the drink. You need to hold this last sip under your tongue for as long as possible...

After drinking the cognac, you should put the empty glass aside with deep regret and slowly, leisurely part with the cognac aftertaste, fill the cup with tea. Add just a little sugar to it and stir it, anticipating the contact of the hot drink with the irritated palate and a little fearing it. Take the first sip of your second cup of tea and feel how the aromas of tea, vanilla or citrus and light sweetness overtake the taste and are felt moments before the hot tea burns your lips and palate.

Actually, it’s for this first sip of the second cup that everything starts. It seems to break up into separate tastes and aromas - but this happens so quickly that at first you catch only some peculiarity of the tea, and only then, when you finish the cup and notice how the separated tastes and aromas merge into a single whole, do you understand what this peculiarity is ...

Concluding today’s column, I can’t resist quoting from “Legends” by Mikhail Weller. She, in principle, is also about tea with cognac...

“...they drink cognac and tea the admiral’s way (and tea the admiral’s way is like this: take a thin tea glass in a silver glass holder, fill it with the strongest, hot, freshly brewed tea, throw in a slice of lemon and pour in three spoons of sugar; and a bottle of cognac stands next to it. They take a sip. tea, and tops it up with cognac. He takes another sip and tops it up again. And when the glass is still full, but the bottle is already empty, this is real admiral’s tea). And they talk with pleasure..."

Every year on December 15th the world celebrates International Tea Day. The holiday, dedicated to one of the most ancient drinks on the planet, is full of different traditions. I wonder which ones exactly? Read our material.

How did Tea Day come about?

The decision to celebrate Tea Day did not arise immediately. Significant tea meetings, after which it was decided to introduce this holiday, took place in 2004 in the Indian city of Mumbai and the Brazilian city of Porte Allegre in 2005.

During the same period, the World Declaration of Rights of Tea Industry Workers was published. They decided on the celebration and declared December 15 World Tea Day. 10 countries were the first to celebrate this event: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia and Uganda. Subsequently, other countries of the world joined them.

Tea Day was first celebrated in 2005 in New Delhi. The main purpose of its celebration– draw the attention of the world community and politicians to the low sales of this miraculous drink and the problems that tea workers regularly face.

History of tea

It is believed that tea as a drink was discovered by the second emperor of China, Shen Nung, around 2737 BC. e., when the emperor dipped tea tree leaves into a cup of hot water. B 400– 600 AD e. In China, interest in tea as a medicinal drink increased, and therefore the processes of cultivating this drink began to develop. In Europe it became known in the first half of the 17th century. And one of the most famous events in the modern history of tea– This is the Boston Tea Party, which took place on December 16, 1773, when American colonists threw boxes of tea into Boston Harbor to protest the British tax on tea.

Traditions of tea ceremonies

Each nation holds the tea ceremony in its own way. How exactly? We will tell you about the most popular traditions of connoisseurs of this wonderful drink in different countries peace.

Japan

The tea ceremony in Japanese is called "Cha no yu". It originated in the 16th century. It is usually carried out in a tea house under the guidance of a master. The owner of the house spends the whole day to adequately prepare for this action. First, he decorates the room in which the process will take place with inscriptions with wise sayings on various topics, including tea.

Only after the room is completely prepared are guests invited. Each of the arrivals sits in the place that the owner has prepared for him. Then they begin to praise the dishes in every possible way. After this, the guests are treated to what the owner of the house offers. Having had their fill, guests go for a walk in the garden. As soon as tea is served, the host will ring the gong if it is afternoon, or the bell if it is evening, and everyone will return to the table to receive their cup of fragrant tea.

The sacrament of brewing Japanese tea It begins with pouring water into a pottery vessel. The owner brings a tea bowl, a spoon for stirring the drink, a bamboo scoop, a napkin and places all this next to the cup, which already contains water. Then he pours tea into a bowl with a scoop at the rate of three scoops per person, pours tea with a ladle of hot water, stirs and adds water again until a drink is formed, the consistency of which is close to the consistency pea soup. Tea is ready. The bowl is given to the main guest, he takes a sip and passes it on to other guests. In Japan, green and yellow tea are preferred. The drink is drunk without sugar, in small sips.

During tea drinking, everyone communicates with each other on the topics stated in the inscriptions posted on the wall.

Great Britain

It is known that the British– one of the biggest tea connoisseurs. About 59 million people in the UK drink 165 million cups of the drink every day, that's one in three Britons. 144,000 tons of tea are imported into the country annually.

Three times a day, the British are required to drink this drink at a strictly specified time: in the morning during breakfast, at one o'clock in the afternoon at lunch and at 17:00. The latter is called the “five o’clock” tea party. At this time, every Englishman has friends at home. They are offered a choice of five varieties of tea: Earl Grey, Lapsang Souchong, Assam, Darjeeling.

The certified drink is placed on a special table, separately– a kettle with boiling water, a milk jug, a sugar bowl and sweets.

While the tea is steeping, unboiled milk is added to well-heated cups.– 2 each – 3 tsp, and only then pour the drink itself.

IN UkraineThere are no special tea drinking traditions. However, no one is stopping you from organizing something like Tea Day at home in the form of a party a la the British or Japanese. If you don’t really want to bother with preparing the tea ceremony, you can simply invite guests over and chat over a cup delicious drink about everyday matters.

The decision to celebrate International Tea Day on December 15 was made after repeated discussions in many international organizations and trade unions during the World Social Forum, held in 2004 in Mumbai (Mumbai, India) and in 2005 in Porte Allegra (Porte Allegre, Brazil). Accordingly, International Tea Day is mainly celebrated by countries in whose economies tea production occupies one of the main places - these are India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Uganda, Tanzania.

Tea is one of the most common drinks in the world. He is loved both among the Bedouins of the deserts and among the peoples of the north. Many countries have their own special traditions associated with tea; For example, everyone knows the tea ceremonies of China and Japan, as well as the English “ti time” and the traditions associated with mate tea, popular among Bolivians and other peoples of South America. Most countries where tea has been grown since ancient times have their own traditions.

Tea drinking in Japanese (Cha-nu-yu)

Tea brought to Japan from China in the 7th century. In China, it was valued as a medicinal plant to relieve fatigue, then as a refined pastime. But such cult of tea, as in Japan, perhaps there was no other country.
One of the first to outline the essence of cha-no-yu ( tea art) Murata Shuko. (1423-1502).

It was he who introduced the Japanese tea utensils. Before him, they neglected it, preferring Chinese. But Shuko, long years Zen practitioner saw the hidden beauty of simple tea utensils, comprehended by the depths of the soul. In the year of Shuko's death, Master Joo was born, who continued Shuko's work.

But the most famous master was Jo’s student, Sen no Rikyu (1521-1591), who gave tea ceremony the look it still retains today. It was Rikyu who introduced the wabi style, describing it with the words simplicity and naturalness. Rikyu reduced the size tea room from six to two tatami, made a low entrance - 60 cm in height and width. The one who entered had to bend down, mentally “leaving the sword behind the threshold.” Ryokyu changed the tokonoma and dimmed the lighting. Niche tea room is located just opposite the entrance, and a scroll, stone or flower immediately catches the eye, setting the guest in a certain mood. Rekyu gave tea utensils a style of simplicity and naturalness, so that external shine and intricate patterns do not distract attention to themselves.

Chinese tea party

Chinese tea ceremony began to take shape during the appearance of the first treatises on tea, in which the preparation itself tea drink and eating it was elevated to the level of art.

Public domain tea drink green tea.

Public domain tea drink began in the Celestial Empire during the reign of the Ming dynasty (XIV-XVII centuries), and first of all this related to the infusion of green tea. In the Chinese Empire, consumer culture tea at the aristocratic level was reflected in the exquisite tea pavilions, tea houses and the gardens surrounding them, in paraphernalia that creates an atmosphere of enjoying a drink with loved ones and guests. From here, this ceremony, on a more modest scale, but on the basis of developed rules, entered everyday life and took the form of democratic communication.

Chinese tea ceremony begins with a measured brewing process tea. The choice of dishes here is not accidental: kettle must be made of clay, preferably from purple-violet Yixing clay from Yixing County, which, before falling into the hands of a master, is soaked for many years, obtaining special strength. According to the Chinese, it is in such dishes tea breathes.

Water for tea ideally should be from the source of the mountain on which tea has grown. Brew quality tea up to 10 times, while oolong is one of the most expensive of the high-mountain varieties - generally up to 30 times. Drink tea in its pure form, without sugar and milk.

English tea party

English tea is three and a half centuries old, but it is unlikely that any other tea culture can compare with it in the richness of traditions and famous historical figures. After all, culture English tea party inextricably linked with the history of the British crown. The first person to make tea a permanent fixture in an Englishman’s life was the young Queen Victoria. We owe her not only Indian, but also Ceylon black tea. The Queen left us “Tea Moralities” - the rules of tea etiquette written in her own hand, which formed the basis of European traditions of business communication. In England, you will certainly be offered several types of tea to choose from, because taste preferences are very individual. Usually they bring a wooden box with tea, and opening it, they invite the guest to choose the tea himself. If the guest is indecisive, he should tell about the country of origin and the character characteristics of this or that tea mixture. The selected tea is brewed in an individual teapot, even if the tea is bagged. The tea table is usually low, 1-15 cm lower than the dining table, and covered with a beautiful plain tablecloth. While the tea is brewing, you can serve milk, sugar, lemon, and a snack to the table. Traditional snacks for tea - these are warmed sandwiches, toasts, muffins. The tea table is set in such a way as to provide everyone with maximum opportunity to enjoy tea and do business at the same time.

Traditionally, tea in England is drunk 6-7 times a day: at breakfast, at lunch, in between, during the day and at 5 pm. Preferred for every time of day different varieties tea.

Tea drinking in Russia

The Russian tea tradition is unlike any other. Tea came to Russia from Asia through Siberia, as a gift from the Mongolian Altyn Khan, and in 1679, the Russian ambassador Golovin managed to negotiate with the Beijing court about the passage of Russian tea caravans.

The widespread distribution of tea already at the beginning of the 19th century led to the emergence of a unique and colorful tea drinking ritual in Rus'. Since good tea was not cheap in those days, it was very important, in addition to the ability to brew delicious tea, and no less the ability to “not drink the tea,” that is, pour it so that each of those present at the tea party receives their share of tea of ​​the same strength, and plus the hostess would not allow a large consumption of dry tea leaves.

The samovar was placed directly on the tea table or on a small table placed at the end of the table. Only the hostess herself poured tea, and only in case of emergency was this action entrusted to the eldest of the daughters. They drank tea from porcelain dishes, making sure not to top up 1-2 cm from the edge of the cup, which was considered good manners. Bourgeois and merchant families were allowed to serve cups of hot tea on deep saucers, from which they drank it with sugar or jam. The saucer was held in the palm of the hand with a special, ostentatious chic. Full glasses of tea “to the very top” were served in taverns, where the common people who drank it considered the right to demand for their penny that the glasses be filled absolutely full. Nowadays, some housewives who greet guests with tea still retain this ancient habit of pouring the guest’s cup of tea to the brim to show that nothing is spared for the dear guest.

December 15

Every year on December 15, all countries that hold the status of the world's leading tea producers celebrate International Tea Day.

The purpose of today's Day is to attract the attention of governments and citizens to the problems of tea sales, the relationship between tea sales and the situation of tea workers, small producers and consumers. And, of course, the popularization of this drink.

The decision to celebrate International Tea Day on December 15 was made after repeated discussions in many international organizations and trade unions during the World Social Forum, held in 2004 in Mumbai (Mumbai, India) and in 2005 in Porte Allegra (Porte Allegre, Brazil). By the way, on this day the World Declaration of Rights of Tea Industry Workers was published.

Accordingly, International Tea Day is mainly celebrated by countries in whose economies tea production occupies one of the main places - these are India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Uganda, Tanzania.

The World Trade Organization's international trade policy expects producing countries to open their borders to trade. The commodity price of tea has been steadily declining in all countries along with a lack of clarity in tea pricing.

There is overproduction in the tea industry, but this phenomenon is controlled as profits are pumped to global brands. Global brands are able to buy tea at the lowest prices, while the tea industry is undergoing large-scale restructuring everywhere. It is expressed in disintegration and disunity at the tea plantation level and consolidation at the brand level.

It is believed that tea as a drink was discovered by the second emperor of China, Shen Nung, around 2737 BC, when the emperor dipped tea tree leaves into a cup of hot water. Is it possible to imagine that now we drink the same tea that the Chinese emperor tasted almost 5 thousand years ago!

In 400–600 AD. In China, interest in tea as a medicinal drink is growing, and therefore tea cultivation processes are developing. In Europe and Russia, tea became known in the first half of the 17th century. One of the most famous events in modern tea history is the Boston Tea Party, which occurred on December 16, 1773, when American colonists threw boxes of tea into Boston Harbor to protest the British tax on tea.