Tea is the most well-liked drink on the earth aside from water. It beats out espresso and beer, which maintain second and third place.
Could 21 is designated as Worldwide Tea Day by the United Nations, marking the importance and worth of the drink globally, not simply economically however culturally too.
Tea performs a significant function in lots of societies. From Tibetan po cha to a very good previous English breakfast brew, tea is taken into account a unifying and hospitable beverage.
Whereas the precise origins of tea are unknown, it’s believed to have originated in northeast India, northern Myanmar and southwest China, in keeping with the UN. There may be proof that tea was consumed in China 5,000 years in the past, making it one of many oldest drinks on the earth.
Methods to say tea world wide
Throughout the globe, practically all phrases for tea may be derived from the basis phrases “cha” or “te”.
In lots of components of South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Center East and Japanese Europe, the phrase for tea is derived from cha.
- In Mandarin: 茶 (chá)
- In Arabic: شاي (shāy)
- In Turkish: çay
- In Hindi: चाय (chāi)
In Western Europe, many nations use some by-product of te. For instance, “tea” was launched into the English language on account of commerce routes within the East. The phrase was taken from China, the place it was pronounced “te” within the Hokkien dialect.
- In English: tea
- In French: thé
- In Spanish: té
- In German: tee
Who produces probably the most tea globally?
The tea plant is often grown in tropical and subtropical climates the place its cultivation and processing help the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of individuals.
In accordance with the most recent knowledge from the Tea and Espresso Commerce Journal‘s World Tea Report, China produces practically half of the world’s tea (48 %). India is the second largest producer, accounting for 20 % of world manufacturing, adopted by Kenya (8 %), Turkiye (4 %) and Sri Lanka (3 %).
The remainder of the world accounts for 17 % of tea manufacturing globally.

How a lot tea is consumed every day worldwide?
In accordance with the UN’s Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO), world tea consumption reached 6.5 million tonnes in 2022, rising from earlier years.
Consumption in China, the most important shopper of tea, reached 3 million tonnes in 2022, representing 46 % of world consumption.
India, the second largest shopper, accounted for a share of practically 18 % at 1.16 million tonnes in 2022, adopted by Turkiye with 250,000 tonnes, Pakistan with 247,000 tonnes and Russia with 133,000 tonnes.
In accordance with the FAO, tea consumption expanded by 2 % in 2022 in contrast with 2021 and additional elevated in 2023.
Nonetheless, tea consumption in nations in Europe and North America has been declining on account of growing competitors from different drinks whereas for Russia, tea imports have been negatively impacted by the struggle in Ukraine.
5 odd teas world wide
To mark this 12 months’s Worldwide Tea Day, listed below are 5 considerably uncommon teas from world wide and how you can make them:
Butter tea (po cha)
Present in: Tibet and different Himalayan areas
What’s odd?: It’s within the identify. Made with yak butter, black tea and salt, butter tea is broth-like. Apparently, there’s a custom the place the host will refill your cup with butter tea till you refuse or till they cease filling it, signalling it’s time so that you can go away.
Kombucha – is it tea?
Present in: China, Japan and the Koreas
What’s odd?: Kombucha is taken into account a tea. It’s a fermented tea made utilizing a jelly-like SCOBY (symbiotic colony of micro organism and yeast). Kombucha followers usually identify their SCOBYs, deal with them like pets and cross them to pals like household heirlooms.
Butterfly pea flower tea
Present in: Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam
What’s odd?: It is called blue tea due to its color, which then modifications to purple when lemon juice is added. It’s caffeine free and constituted of a concoction of floral petals from the blue pea flower.
Baobab leaf tea
Present in: sub-Saharan Africa
What’s odd?: Baobab leaf tea is historically utilized in many components of sub-Saharan Africa as a gentle natural treatment and dietary drink.
In contrast to most natural teas, which are sometimes floral or fruity, baobab leaf tea has a mildly earthy and even barely bitter style, a bit like spinach water.
Guava leaf tea
Present in: Philippines, Central America, Africa
What’s odd?: The tea is constituted of the leaves of the guava tree, which have an earthy flavour. In Philippine tradition, it’s stated to have medicinal advantages for soothing abdomen aches and bathing wounds.