Tea 101: Tea Around the World

Gongfu tea can be found in China along with the traditional and very detailed ceremony that accompanies it. This ceremony involves a tureen, tongs, strainers, tea towels, tray, and cups specifically used for sniffing the drink but not ingesting it. The first of many steps in this ceremony is to smell the leaves before brewing them. Also part of the ritual is to hold your cup of tea with both hands, sipping slowly until it is empty, and then holding the empty cup so as to savor and truly appreciate each aspect of the beverage. 

Maghrebi mint tea--also known as Touareg and Sahrawi mint tea--is a traditional tea originating in the Maghreb region. As its name suggests, this tea is prepared using mint tea as well as sugar. It's typically poured from a high height into slim glasses and served three different times to guests, with each serving representing something different. The first serving is supposed to be gentle like life, the second strong like love, and the third bitter like death. Refusing any of the three servings when offered is considered rude.

Zavarka is a loose leaf tea concentrate that is brewed in a metal container called samovar. The end result is a very strong tea so, rather than filling the entire teacup with this tea, only an inch or so is poured into each cup. Hot water is then added to fill the rest of the cup and dilute the brew. Milk and sugar can also be added to the drink, although most Russians drink this tea black. You won't see this drink ever be served by itself as not serving it with cookies, crackers, or some other snack is considered extremely rude.

Although matcha tea has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years, the tea itself originated in Japan. Made from high quality, powdered green tea, matcha is made by whisking the powder with hot water using a bamboo tool. Tea is very ceremonial in Japan and is often celebrated through ceremonies that focus on the process of making the drink rather than consuming it.

Po cha or, butter tea, stands out in the world of tea because it is a salty drink as opposed to sweet. A brick of Pemagul black tea is boiled for a few hours before milk, salt, and yak butter are added and everything is then churned together. The result is a tea with a soup-like consistency. Because of Tibet's custom to top off the cup or bowl after each sip, guests can leave their cup untouched to signal to their host that they are finished with their drink.

Earl Gray, while associated with England, is considered by some to be a catchall term for any black tea that contains bergamot. This simple tea is made by steeping a tea bag or loose leaf in hot water for a few minutes before adding lemon, sugar, or milk. While both are acceptable, there is some debate among tea-drinkers over whether the correct combination is lemon and sugar or milk and sugar.

Taiwan's trademark tea is bubble tea or milk tea. Available either hot or cold, this tea is made with powdered milk, a sugary syrup, and small tapioca pearls. Flavors of this drink include everything from lychee and ginger to avocado and sesame seed. The newest variation of tea, bubble tea was created accidentally in the 1980s when a woman accidentally dropped a few tapioca pearls from a dessert into her tea during a meeting at a teahouse.

Sweet tea, as its name suggests, is a sweet drink. Typically made using Lipton black tea and a lot of sugar, this iced drink is a trademark of the Southeast region of the United States.