GUWAHATI: International Tea Day is observed every year on May 21, according to the United Nations. It raises awareness about the cultural and economic significance of tea all over the world.
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The tea industry in Assam is about 172 years old. It occupies an important place and plays a very useful part in the national economy. Robert Bruce in 1823 discovered tea plants growing wild in upper Brahmaputra Valley.
A tea garden was started by the Government in 1833 in erstwhile Lakhimpur district.
With the arrival in London of the fine quality tea from this garden in 1938, the commercial circle of the city took a keen interest in tea plantations in Assam and a company known as the Assam Company was formed in 1839 to take over the experimental holdings of the East India Company's Administration over the tea gardens established in Assam till then.
This was the first company in India to undertake the commercial production of tea and was, in fact, the direct successor of the East India Company.
Let’s know some interesting facts about tea:
1. It is the second most consumed beverage around the world, after water. There are around 3,000 different types of tea.
2. Tea leaves can be used as mosquito repellent. Tea leaves, especially green tea leaves are a natural way of keeping mosquitoes at bay.
3. Tea was used as a medicine for centuries before it became a daily drink.
4. The art of reading tea leaves is called tasseography. It is said that this form of art is a powerful way to channel energy and exercise intuition.
5. The commercial cultivation of tea in Assam began in the early 19th century under British rule. It marked the beginning of the Indian tea industry, which broke the Chinese monopoly on tea production.
6. All tea comes from the same plant called Camellia sinensis plant. The different colors- green, black, white, oolong are only because of the difference in oxidation methods.
7. Tea cups didn’t always have handles. At first, the English made cups without handles, influenced by the traditional Chinese tea bowls.
8. In some parts of Asia, tea was once pressed into bricks and used as a form of currency. These tea bricks were durable and easy to transport.
9. The tea bag was invented by accident in the early 20th century. American tea merchant Thomas Sullivan sent out samples of tea in small silk pouches, and his customers mistakenly steeped the entire bag in hot water.
10. The British established tea plantations in Assam and Darjeeling during the 19th century to break the Chinese monopoly on tea. Today, India is one of the largest tea producers in the world.
Tea is much more than just a beverage, its an emotion and a way to bring people together!