Tea: the world’s most popular drink

Tea is so much more than iced matcha lattes or the dusty bags you find in average hotels. With thousands of years of tradition, it has shaped cultures and history across the globe (remember the Tea War that is indirectly responsible for the USA of today?) and it is, to today, the most popular drink worldwide.

Given the importance of tea, it is worth knowing a bit about how it took shape into what it is, how it is enjoyed across the world and why tea drinking in a professional setting might be the most underrated start to a lifetime business relationship. 

Isn’t it remarkable that it all started with a single, simple plant? Camellia sinensis, native to the misty mountains of southwest China, changed the world by accident. Legend says that Emperor Shen Nong discovered tea around 2700 BCE when leaves from a wild bush drifted into his pot of boiling water. Intrigued by the delicate aroma, he drank the infusion and felt refreshed and ordered for tea bushes to be planted all over his gardens - a myth that marks the symbolic birth of tea culture.

It then evolved from a medicinal herb to a refined beverage celebrated in Asian poetry and art. Monks drank it to aid meditation, while scholars praised its purity and energy boosting properties. As trade expanded between regions and continents, tea followed the routes of merchants and pilgrims: Buddhist monks carried it to Japan in the 9th century, where it inspired the Zen-influenced tea ceremony. Centuries later, Portuguese and Dutch traders introduced it to Europe, where it became a luxury import, enjoyed by the elites (as always..). 

The colonial era transformed tea into a global commodity. The British East India Company cultivated vast plantations in India and Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), reshaping landscapes and labor systems (do not forget the Opium war..). By the 19th century, tea had become not just a drink but a symbol of empire, trade and social identity -  a simple leaf that had circled the world.

Economically, tea rode the waves of empires and industry. By the 18th century, it was fueling global trade networks, sparking political events such as the Boston Tea Party. Industrialization brought the tea bag and standardized blends, turning a luxury into an everyday habit.

Why? Tea’s universal appeal lies in its perfect balance: stimulating yet soothing, exotic yet familiar. Its caffeine content provides gentle alertness, while its complex aromas and flavors have shaped loyal fans and dents in people’s wallets.  

Yet tea’s rise has also been cultural. It adapted effortlessly to the values of each society that adopted it: meditation in Japan, hospitality in India, relaxation in England. Tea became both ritual and refuge, a small daily act connecting the individual to a larger rhythm of culture and history.

One important note: while we refer to tea as the drink made of the Camelia Sinensis plant, tea-like drinks and infusions exist all over the world and they come with their own baggage of medical and magical properties. In Eastern Europe, for example, tea is also the name for a drink made by using boiling water and chamomile. While entire encyclopedias could be dedicated to “tea” drinks all over the world, a good start point for your tea cultural adventure is the OG  - the original tea plant and its ways in countries that have embraced it as a lifestyle.

China

In China, tea is and has always been a symbol of balance and respect. From delicate green teas to earthy pu-erh, every cup reflects centuries of craftsmanship. In fact, the traditional way of picking leaves, drying them, allowing them to oxidize is still practiced today, as it is the friendliest way to get the most out of the plant. 

The notions you should be familiar with are white tea, green tea, oolong, black tea and pu-erh. 

White tea consists of young leafs that have simply been dehydrated In a sunny spot or a warm room. This is your lightest flavored, least processed tea.

Green tea - same plant, same leaves but frozen in time. Well, more specifically, heated in time: the leaves get heat applied to them so they cannot oxidize further. You get low to moderate caffeine content and a fresh, slightly bitter taste that ends sweet in the mouth. 

Oolong - Same plant, same leaves but partly oxidized. This is where things get very interesting because humans can decide at which point and in which way to craft particular flavors from the plant, with complex rolling of the leaves and heat applied, giving the world unique aromas starting from the plant’s own terroir. Tea fanatics love an oolong. 

Black tea is allowed to fully oxidize, which darkens the leaves and deepens the flavor. This is also the highest in caffeine. Black tea is what would usually be served best with milk and spices. 

Pu-erh tea is fermented, so it allows for a whole new range of tastes, based on processing and aging of the leaves. Perhaps for more advanced tea lovers.

Such is the importance of tea in China that the Chinese have created complex ceremonies to serve it and unique, highly skilled porcelain tea ware that sometimes auction for obscene amounts of money (as they should; those items are exquisite). 

The gongfu tea ceremony is all about slowing down and enjoying the moment. It uses small teapots or cups, specific precise movements and practices around the tea leaves and several quick infusions to bring out how the flavor changes with each brew. Whether done casually or as a more formal ritual, it is a way to appreciate the tea’s depth and complexity through patience and repetition.

Tea is served to honor guests, seal friendships, or accompany moments of calm contemplation, always with a sense of reverence for nature and time. This is why you may see that a certain type of tea is preferred for each season:

- jasmine tea (tea scented with the aroma of jasmine blossoms) in spring, to awaken after winter.

- green tea for summer because it is refreshing the body even when drunk hot.

- oolong for autumn because it is hydrating (and cozy) in dry weather

- black tea for winter because it is decant and like a warm hug for the body.

Offering tea in a business setting is meant to show hospitality and an invitation to start a good, calm business relationship. The act of pouring tea for another person, especially for a senior or guest, signifies humility and goodwill. Many negotiations begin not with contracts, but with several rounds of tea, as a way to establish guanxi, the network of personal relationships essential in Chinese business culture. When someone pours tea for you, a light tap of your fingers on the table is a silent “thank you” Always allow elders or guests to be served first, and never fill your own cup before others. 

India

India’s tea story is one of transformation: introduced by the British (because trading with China had become far too expensive and a little violent here and there), it became wholly Indian through brewing it with milk, sugar and spices like cardamom and ginger. When you pass by an Indian place selling chai, you know it is Indian because the smell is just magical and the drink itself is delicious.

Today, roadside chaiwallahs serve millions of cups daily; street vendors perform theatrical “pulling” of tea to cool and mix it and tea is ever present in the most expensive homes to the most humble street shops.  Tea in India is not a luxury but a heartbeat of everyday life - comforting and endlessly adaptable. So essential is tea for India now that India has a special department under the Ministry of Commerce called the Tea Board of India, which generally takes care of Indian tea.

This is why you shouldn’t be surprised if, in a business setting, your Indian host serves you with tea before anything else. It is usually boiling hot so accept it with gratitude and never rush. In informal settings, sharing tea with colleagues or strangers alike is common; it symbolizes equality and friendship. It is also highly addictive. 

Japan

The Japanese took tea from China and transformed it into a lifestyle and a product that seems to have been born there and they really created something special - that is matcha, pure green tea powder.

In Japan, tea is a philosophy in itself: “the way of tea” - from covering the planted fields in the summer to give the tea plant a gentle, indirect light to the way your hands are supposed to hold a matcha bowl when drinking - every step in this journey is mindful. The Japanese tea ceremony  brings together essential principles from Japanese culture and religions: aesthetics, transient beauty, communion with nature, minimalism and self-control. For the Japanese, tea is not just a drink but a mirror of the soul.

While the formal tea ceremony with its exquisite steps and discipline (chanoyu) is rare in corporate settings, the spirit of respect and attentiveness it represents still permeates Japanese business etiquette. A simple cup of green tea during a meeting reflects patience, harmony and mutual understanding. Bow lightly before and after receiving your tea. Hold the cup with both hands, rotate it slightly before drinking (so that the side of the bowl that was facing you when you received the bowl is now facing the others) and take quiet, mindful sips. Slurping is acceptable in casual settings but not in formal tea ceremonies.

If you want to participate in such a ritual on your own private time then it’s best you keep an eye open to Japanese embassies events, Japanese schools or tea houses. Prepare to give yourself away for a couple of hours and to come back from it a gentler you. What you will experience is a series of quiet moments and reflection in which you will be greeted, invited to sit, breathe, observe beauty and assist to the preparation of matcha in a ceremonial bowl (chawan) using a bamboo whisk (chasen). Every movement in the ceremony is intentional, emphasizing harmony, respect, purity and tranquility.

In the meantime, this book could very much serve your imagination and your learning purpose - “The Book of Tea" (Okakura Kakuzo - which phrases the best answer to why a tea ceremony.

‘’A complicated ceremonial is the fruit of long observations, made to find the best method of obtaining a certain result. Thus, the tea ceremony consists in a certain way of handling a bowl, a spoon, a napkin. A stranger will seem tiresome, but he will soon discover that the prescribed method saves the most time and effort. By the constant practice of good manners we come to place the different parts of the body and the different qualities in such perfect order and in such harmony with our own person, as well as with everything that surrounds us, that we demonstrate the domination of the body by the spirit. From here on, how many new meanings does the expression good manners not contain?.’’

Now, if you are completely sold and fascinated and want to bring this ritual into your home and your days, don’t forget its essence - mindfulness. Sure, a matcha latte tastes great but if you are purchasing ceremonial-grade matcha (as you may often see advertised in hipster coffee shops), at least do justice by it and drink it on its own, as it is. And please - do not buy one of those electric bamboo whisks!..

The Islamic World 

In the Islamic world, to serve tea is to open one’s heart. Since alcohol is not consumed, tea is the social, refreshing drink of choice, but it is also an act of welcome, a pause in the day and a reflection of centuries-old hospitality. In the Gulf and the Levant, strong black tea is the constant companion to conversation. Its deep, full flavor balances the richness of local dishes, soothing after a heavy meal and reviving the spirit in the heat of the afternoon.

Further west, across the deserts and coastlines of North Africa, another tradition took root. Through 18th-century trade with China, gunpowder green tea found its way to Moroccan ports, where it met fresh spearmint and sugar to become the beloved Maghrebi Mint Tea. Brewed in a metal berrad and poured from high above the glass, it is as much a performance as it is a way to cool down the drink so it can be enjoyed at an optimal temperature. 

You may start seeing a pattern here - tea borrows something from each region in which it has been embraced - from what the earth gives to the way of living: mint brings freshness (North African and Levantine blends), sage is calming (Jordan and Palestine), cardamom is richly aromatic, often blended with milk for depth (Gulf states), saffron adds golden decadence  (Emirati and Persian brews), cinnamon and cloves lend warmth to Yemeni and Levantine cups.

Each infusion carries the memory of the land: spice routes, family kitchens and shared stories. In every region, every glass is both comfort and connection. Yes, even when that Turkish gentleman in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is trying to sell you something, his offer of tea is still genuinely hospitable. 

Business often proceeds slowly in the Islamic world, intertwined with social exchange - therefore,  the shared tea bridges trust and personal warmth before professional matters are discussed. Wherever you are dealing business, from North Africa to the Gulf states, if you are offered tea - accept it, even if you only sip a little.

United Kingdom

In Britain, a “nice cup of tea” came to mean solace in all circumstances, from celebration to grief. It reflects the British love of understatement: a small ritual that restores order and warmth to the day. It is usually served with sugar and milk and an accompanying pastry or scone. It’s an emblem of comfort .. but it has not always been just that, has it? Borders and lives have been changed and broken for centuries for the British love of tea and while it would serve you  to be familiar with that history, this book is not about that. What should serve you here best is knowing how to drink tea appropriately in the English landscape and what is the logic behind the current customs. 

While on the subject of tea, a few important clarifications are required: you may have heard of high-tea or afternoon-tea, expressions most often pronounced with a British accent, because they come from Great Britain. You know that the English are big tea drinkers, that this started with imports from India and China, some four hundred years ago and that in England a tradition of tea drinking was formed, valued and followed even today.

Along the way, tea began to be served in the following forms: at breakfast in the privacy of the room, after lunch with a snack (Afternoon-tea, meaning tea after lunch but not right after) and after 5 o'clock, which is actually a meal with everything + tea. Tea is just an excuse at this time. While the tea is boiling, you can also start with a champagne.

This tea at 5 o'clock, or served after 5 o'clock anyway, appeared as an excuse to go out and eat something at a salon, like a little pre-meeting before watching a play - this is High-Tea.

If men went to cafes, ladies of good society began to spend time in tea rooms, to meet there, to have comment and decision sessions and meetings and most importantly - small elegant parties for adult women. Even if they ate hearty meals and drank alcohol.. a lady didn’t talk about it. But she would tell her husband at home that she was having tea with other ladies at the salon. So tea was a pretext, although it really did have a central role. Moreover - being a rather feminine environment, in those times, the way one dressed, the way one presented herself was judged much more harshly than the men who also had their outings. So the event of a tea meeting required preparation, clothing.. and a good knowledge of the norms.

And even at a lady's house, organizing a tea party was and still is - in England - a special occasion: the porcelain is dusted off, the tablecloths and napkins are put out, the tables are set as if for a celebration and many hours are spent preparing small sandwiches and all kinds of snacks. The host pours the tea for the guests and there are of course all kinds of rules regarding how the tray should be set, how the objects on the tray that are part of the tea service are arranged, such as: the creamer must stand to the right of the sugar bowl and with the handle pointing towards the person receiving the cup, the tablecloth must traditionally be white.

In Britain and Commonwealth countries, offering tea in an office or meeting room carries a similar social function: a moment to relax, gather thoughts and connect beyond the transactional. Even today, “let’s have a cup of tea!” often means “let’s talk openly!’’. But if you want to get all “fancy”, you might want to indulge on a full “Afternoon tea” service. The best hotels and tea salons in London usually take pride in their take on this classic British experience. 

The tea will always be served  in delicate bone china cups on saucers and is usually accompanied by tiered stands with finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries.

What to actually do when serving an Afternoon Tea -  full service: 

The napkin sits on your lap. Please unfold it gently. Remember - Britain = understatement. Etiquette here is about discretion, harmony, fluidity. Nothing too loud, dramatic, or show-off-y. The loud tourists in a British tea salon will always get raised eyebrows. 

Use your tea spoon to stir gently without clinking the sides. In fact, absolute quiet is what you should be aiming for, so a straight 12-to-6-on-the-clock short motion in the cup is the way to go. This goes back, again - to that discipline of gestures meant to keep the experience discreet and elegant. 

Stirring tea loudly is to be avoided. Instead, use a 12-6 on the clock short motion, as quietly as possible.

Leave your tea spoon on the saucer, never in your cup while drinking. Duh! 

Hold your cup by the handle, with your pinky finger tucked in. Never up. 

Avoid slurping.

Serve others before you serve yourself

Start with the lower tier of finger food, which will usually be your savoury sandwiches and work your way up to the sweets.

The scones have their own special etiquette - you grab one with your hand, break a single, bite-size piece, layer it with clotted cream and jam and you put it entirely in your mouth and eat it. If you bite through it, it will crumble, it will make a mess.. just eat the piece entirely. 

Sorry - clotted cream and jam? Or jam and clotted cream? Which one goes first? There has been a rather comical debate for a few centuries now. Both ways are correct, but each English person will usually have a strong preference and they will die on that hill. 

And lastly - are you an Mi.I.F.-er? Yet another tea-etiquette debate that’s been the subject of gossip and raised eyebrows for centuries. Correctly - milk is added after pouring tea in the cup. 

Here is why: milk should be added after in the same way like you add salt to food that has been prepared by someone else: you taste it first and then “season” it. Therefore - adding milk should be done after pouring, as a way of adjusting the temperature and the taste to your liking. 

But there is a rather less obvious reason: being so  traditionally split into classes, the English society is obsessed with dissecting human habits that might belong to one class or another. Of course, everyone wants to be “upper class”, although everyone also loves commenting on the upper class. Historically, the upper class people have been the ones to adopt new trends in clothing and dining (and everything else) and so when tea was at its import peak (and extremely expensive), it was only the upper crust that would drink it. And they were enjoying this exquisite drink in fine, imported porcelain as well (porcelain from China, that is why it’s called “china”). Once tea became more reasonably priced for the lower classes that were looking to borrow a bit of “noble shine”, people loved their tea moments in a day but fine, imported porcelain was still not to be found on every working class table. So they had to use earthenware, ceramic mugs and such. And these would be a tad more sensitive to the hot tea and perhaps their glaze would crack in contact with the hot tea. Therefore, a bit of cold milk in the cup to welcome the hot tea was a creative, rescuing touch. 

But.. adding milk in first also became an emblem of being more ..  financially restrained. This is why  nowadays, doing so in the company of English people will raise some eyebrows. Internal eyebrows, of course. The English would never visibly disapprove. Do yourself a favor and just add the milk after your tea, if you take any milk with your tea at all… 

Pro-tip - If the King takes the tea with milk after, then that is the correct way.

As you now know, across continents and centuries, tea has been the perfect medium for building trust because it allows for conversations to unfold with ease and sincerity. In many business contexts, tea softens hierarchy and fosters collaboration before formal discussions begin so Understanding its traditions and etiquette around the world should not only make you a cultured drinker but also, a successful (and hydrated) cultured drinker.