Tea originated from China and is the most popular drink in the world. It is known to have powerful anti oxidant properties which are linked to improved metabolism. 

There is a wide variety of tea across the world. In Britain, tea breaks for teatime are a must for workers to recharge their batteries and are a form of socialisation. Tea is commonly blended with milk and sugar. In India, tea can be spiced up with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and pepper or even masala. I still reminisce the midnight chai with my Indian friends from the university campus amidst jokes and laughter. Tea shops are found in every street corner of the country and are popular places for relaxation and meetings amid ear splitting Bollywood music. Tea from Darjeeling (North India) is more reputed because of its climate. In the Middle East, tea is taken plain with much sugar. In Turkey, many can be seen sipping tea in the Grand Bazar of Istanbul. Mauritian tea has also of late grown in popularity especially in China. In Mauritius, most of the tea shops so popular in bygone days are still in service. 

In China, tea drinking is a ritual and is governed by etiquettes. It is not simply the drinking of tea; it is the combination of brewing, smelling its flavour, drinking and appreciating. Tea offering is usually held to welcome guests. To hold a tea ceremony, a full tea set is needed: teapot, teacups, tea sieve, kettle, water, tea leaves, tray and tea leaf holder. Different tea sets should be ceremoniously prepared for different types of tea. White porcelain tea sets are more often used for brewing and drinking green tea and the purple sand sets are for red tea. The teapot and tea cups should be rinsed in order to obtain the full fragrance of tea. Water should be boiled and hereafter the tea leaves should be put into the pot and left for a few minutes to get their full flavour. When serving tea, the host must hold the tea with both hands as a sign of respect and the guests must avoid drinking big mouthfuls. They must sip it and show appreciation of the aroma from the tea. Tapping with the fingers on the table is to thank the tea server silently. Spitting the tealeaves is reckoned as a sign of impoliteness. Tea is taken to boost our spirit. We must not serve tea too full on cups for fear of overflowing and this may cause embarrassment to the guest. We must serve tea with a smile as a sign of welcome. Tea dry leaves after use are used as a fertilizer for plants. 

Chinese wedding tea ceremony 

Tea ceremony constitutes one of the most significant traditions of the wedding, where the newlywed couple show their respect to the elders in the families and they in turn show their acceptance of the marriage and their entry into the family is the fusion of two families into one. 

The couple, often dressed in traditional garments (Qi pao for the bride) will serve parents tea. This ceremony must be quite selective for accommodation and sitting arrangements. It is coupled with house warming amid firecrackers blasting, a sign of luck and prosperity and good health. It is usually held prior to a long awaited restaurant banquet. 

Tea has a great significance in Chinese culture. It is used as a symbol of faithfulness from a woman to her betrothed and it symbolises the welcome of the bride or the bridegroom into the families. It is also an expression of gratitude and filial piety to their parents for having nurtured them and brought them up. Hereafter parents and close relatives will place on the tea tray a red envelope (Fung Poa) a symbol of joy, luck, prosperity and good health to the newly married couple. This ceremony is on the wedding day coupled with house warming. They must choose an auspicious hour for them according to Chinese almanac in line with Feng Shui. During the ceremony, there is a whole set of etiquettes to observe meticulously. 

Tea plays a vital role in our life. It can be our best friend as it will help to calm down our spirits in case of uneasiness and it will make us feel relaxed when we feel stressful. Finding our inner peace, tea will dance in our palate and offer an indescribable flavour. There is nothing more blissful than to have a cup of hot steaming tea after a hard day’s work.