Contemporary Statistics

The tea beverage is popular all over the world, and is second only to water in terms of its level of human consumption. Tea has had a powerful influence on global history and culture, and lots of international communities have a rich tradition of tea and tea ritual. In many cultures, tea drinking is associated with social events and family rituals, where it is prepared and enjoyed to celebrate intimacy and community. In other cultures, while the tea ritual itself may not be as formalised, it still represents a powerful and all pervasive aspect of society. While it may be informal in nature and not linked to particular traditions like it is in Asia, there is still a strong culture of tea and tea drinking that exists throughout the western world.

The history of tea is long and complex, however there are particular countries that have strong tea traditions, and certain parts of the world that are linked to the geographical origins of tea in southeast Asia. The early history of tea is documented mainly in China, where it spread across Asia to Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and India. All of these nations have a strong tea culture, some of which is heavily intertwined with particular tea ceremonies and rituals. The tea ceremonies of Japan are particularly well known around the world, and have their origins as a religious ritual that began with Japanese priests and members of the royal class. Tea also has a strong culture in India, where it is often linked to traditional systems of medicine and documented in ancient religious texts.

While tea may have originated in southeast Asia, it has certainly spread all across the world much like the spread of the Commercial Espresso Machine. The Dutch East India Company brought the first ever tea leaves into Amsterdam in the early 17th century, where it spread into England and all over Europe. Britain has a strong tradition in tea drinking, and the British people are the biggest per capita tea drinkers in the entire world. While western tea culture may not have the formal attributes of the tea rituals and ceremonies of the east, the amount of people drinking tea on a daily basis is a ritual in itself. From posh English tea parties to builders tea breaks and intimate afternoon tea gatherings, the culture of tea is definitely alive and thriving in the western world.