| This series of stickers for a wallchart from Brooke Bond | PG Tips | The Language Of Tea


	01 INDIA - THE MOTHER OF TEA In 1823 - Major Robert Bruce found tea growing wild in Assam - a northeastern state of India - and he at once began intense cultivation of the tea plant. Soon tea plantations were spreading throughout India - and in 1839 the first Indian tea was sold in Britain. The strong links Britain held with India helped make tea-drinking a national institution. Assam in North East India is now the world's largest tea growing area - with 650 tea estates in operation in this region. Other areas famous for their tea crops include Nilgiri in southern India and Darjeeling in the foothills of the Himalayas. Tea from this region has earned itself the title "Champagne of teas".
	02 CHINA - THE ORIGINS OF TEA The history of tea has its origins in China - where tea drinking is referred to in records going back to the fourth century AD. One ancient myth claims that 5000 years ago - the emperor Shen Nung discovered tea as he was boiling his drinking water; some leaves from a nearby bush fell into the water and he was do pleased with the resulting flavour - that he began to cultivate the wild tea plant. The name 'tea' also originated in China - coming from the Chinese word 't'e' which is pronounced "tay".
	03 SRI LANKA - THE SCOTTISH CONNECTION Nowadays Sri Lanka - or Ceylon as it was previously known - is one of the world's three principal tea producing countries alongside China and India. However - this has not always been so. During the nineteenth century coffee was the principal crop from the island - but following some disastrous coffee crop failures - pioneers from Scotland initiated a changeover to tea cultivation. Their success has resulted in a legacy of Scottish tea garden names throughout the island - names such as Barra - Culloden - Gleneagles and Strahspey.
	04 KENYA - TEA SEED SMUGGLERS In most Countries the tea picking Season is relatively short. Kenya - however - has a fertile climate which enables tea to be picked all year round. This - together with the opportunity to avoid paying import taxes and transportation costs on Indian teas - led to the founding of many tea estates in Kenya During the 1920s. The first tea seed from India had to be smuggled into the country packed in empty oil drums hidden in charcoal - as epxort from India was forbidden However - the seed flourished - and Kenya tea is now prized for its distinctive flavour arid good colour.
	05 GREAT BRITAIN - A NATIONal trADITION Great Britain is the largest consumer of tea in the world and nowadays the average Briton drinks 1650 cups a year! The British have always had a fondness for tea which borders on the eccentric. Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington always had supplies of tea handy during their battles with Napoleon. And the English Prime Minister - Gladstone - used to fill his stone hot water bottle with tea so he could keep warm and have a drink during the night!
	06 JAPAN - ELABORATE TEA RITUal People were drinking tea in Japan over 850 years before but arrival in England! This often involved a formal and ritualistic ceremony called 'Chanoyu' - composed by the great tea master Rikvu (1521-91). There are four parts to the ceremony which takes four hours. First a light meal is served followed by a short recess and then the main part of the ceremony when a thick tea is offered. The final serving is the 'usucha' which is a thin textured tea. This last part takes only an hour and is often performed on its own.
	07 EGYPT - THE TEA CLIPPER RACES The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 marked the end of not only the tea clipper but also the last of the annual clipper races which were an important and elaborate sporting event. The tea clipper originated from the American War of Independence. These three-masted - fully rigged ships evolved from the privateers built in Baltimore as part of the American fighting force against the British. The most famous tea clipper of all time was the Cutty Sark built in Britain in 1869. Steam eventually took over from sail and the clippers were forced to give up their service to tea and turn to the longer Australian wool run.
	08 TIBET - THE BUDDHIST BREW Tea is the most popular drink in Tibet - particularly amongst Buddhist monks. It is commonly found in brick form - and when required is chipped from the block and boiled for an hour until it is black. The liquor is then strained off. Salt - soda and yak butter are added and the mixture is churned vigorously. The end result is served with 'samba' which is ground barley rolled into balls. These are dipped in the bitter brew and eaten.
	09 FRANCE - HERBal AND FRUIT TEAS Tisanes' or herbal teas go way back into folklore and were used as hot infusions for medicinal reasons and even as aphrodisiacs! Many are reputed to have beneficial properties: camomile flowers aid relaxation while mixed fruit and rosehip tisanes Coiltam vitamin C. Although tea with lemon is more popular in France than tea with milk - it is often claimed that the custom of adding milk in fact originated in France. A courtesan had a sick friend who was ordered milk to drink to make her better. As the friend disliked milk. The courtesan suggested she add it to her favourite drink - tea.
	10 USA - BOSTON TEA PARTY Many people have heard of The Boston Tea Party but few realise its true significance. In fact it is often considered to have sparked off the American War of Independence. In 1773 when the USA was still a colony - the British government of George III imposed a tax on tea imported into America. The colonists refused to pay the tax and their revolt led to the event we now know as the Boston Tea Party. Citizens of Boston dressed as Red Indians boarded British ships in Boston harbour and emptied their cargo of tea into the sea. Other 'tea parties' followed in other ports and - in outrage - the British Parliament retaliated with strong measures - resulting in outright war. Hardly a storm in a tea cup!
	11 HOLLAND - SMUGGLING TEA TO BRITAIN Until the late eighteenth century - heavy taxes were imposed on tea in Britain and so smuggling developed into a highly profitable and sophisticated enterprise. Dutch merchant ships would bring tea across the Channel and anchor off the English coast. Small local craft took it ashore and underground passages leading from caves to remote inland lanes provided the start to a nation-wide distribution network. Rogue dealers were also common - passing off used tea which has been treated and dried or mixed with 'fillers' such as dried liquorice leaves. It was not unknown for animal dung to be used!
	12 RUSSIA - CHINA CARAVAN TEA Most people are surprised to discover that Russia is not only a major importer of tea - but that it is also a producer. Both black and green types are grown - mainly in the southern state of Georgia. Russian-style tea is strong - sweet and black. Traditionally it is served with a slice of lemon - and is brewed in an ornate urn called a Samovar. Sometimes jam is used as a sweetener - One famous imported blend associated with Czarist Russia is 'China Caravan' - a blend of black Keemun and oolong teas. It is so named because it used to be transported to Russia from China by camel caravan.

"So you grab a piece of something - That you think is gonna last"
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