The current tea culture is inherited from tradition and changed with social development. Tea drinking traditions have become more and more popular with diverse forms. It closely combined with the social economy.
One thing that makes tea attractive is that it is inexpensive and comes in numerous flavors. Tea drinking is a pleasurable experience that is enjoyed either alone or shared at social gatherings. The Japanese tea ceremony and the English 4 o’clock tea are examples of how important tea has become in the tradition of some cultures.
In Japan, the habit of tea gatherings was established as a spiritual exercise with precisely defined rules and became known as “chadô” or “the way of tea”. It has significantly influenced the aesthetic system of Japan.
In United Kingdom, an English-style afternoon tea is traditionally served between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and typically lasts about one and a half to two hours. Traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of dainty sandwiches (including thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches), scones served with clotted cream and preserves.
The Bulong, who live high in the deep tea mountains of Xishuangbanna on the border to Myanmar, daily pick fresh tender tea leaves for use in their daily meals, for example as a major ingredient in a salad, that may contain other greens from the jungle, in a delicious omelet and many other dishes.
The Bulong also harvest tea leaves from up to eight hundred years old tea trees for the production of loose and caked Puerh tea - their most important cash crop.
Tea has become an integral part of the Sri Lankan culture since it goes hand in hand with hospitality, every house hold offers tea to guests every time, no exceptions. It is served at festivals and gatherings, almost anywhere in Sri Lanka. Every occasion is celebrated with a cup of tea, and Sri Lankans would not substitute it for anything else.
World culture and tradition of tea
