From formal tea ceremonies and spiritual tea rituals in China and Japan, to the daily tea drinking and chai traditions of the UK and India; from the male-dominated tea houses in Turkey and the underground tea rooms of Slovakia, to the bubble teas shops of Taiwan and chai lattes of the cafes in the USA, tea—in all its varying renditions—runs through our global fabric. The world’s most widely consumed beverage after water, tea has reshaped nations, changed the cause of history, and forged deeply symbolic cultural markers since people started drinking it over 1,500 years ago.
The practice of serving and drinking tea has great social weight—the kind of tea, the way it’s served, who drinks it and where it is drunk all carry various meanings—and across many different cultures; tea is universally seen a symbol of status, hospitality, community, family tradition, and religious and spiritual practice.
Status
In China, where the beverage originated, tea was an object of connoisseurship from as early as the Tang Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, formal tea-tasting parties were held, comparable to modern wine tastings. As with the latter, much attention was paid to how it was served and the aesthetically appealing vessel to match.
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