Tea Cultures
A drink first prepared in China that became a ritual of hospitality from Japan to Britain to the Maghreb and Senegal.
- Plant
- Camellia sinensis
- Origin
- Southwest China
China and Japan
Tea drinking spread widely in China during the Tang dynasty. In Japan it became the chanoyu ceremony, where every gesture of preparing and serving carries meaning.
Around the world
Britain made afternoon tea a social institution. In Morocco green tea is brewed with fresh mint and sugar, and in Senegal and the Gambia attaya is served in three rounds, each one sweeter than the last.