The Tea Reference: A Comprehensive Guide To Different Teas Around The World
| source:Here Jul 26th, 2023
Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, and while it’s often associated with the British Empire, there are different kinds of tea that come from all over the globe. From Masala Chai to Bubble Tea to Black Tea (Kenya), there’s a lot more to tea than just Earl Grey. In this article, we’ll explore some of these lesser-known varieties and how they came about!
Gong Fu (China)
Gong Fu is a style of preparing and serving tea in China. It is a very formal ceremony, involving pouring hot water over the tea leaves in order to brew the tea. The brewed liquid is then poured into small cups, which are passed around among guests. The name Gong Fu literally translates as “high skill” or “great effort”.
Afternoon Tea (UK)
You may have heard of the British tradition of afternoon tea. It’s a light meal served around 4pm, usually with tea and cakes. It’s a very old custom, dating back to when ladies would take an afternoon break from their daily chores to relax in their parlors while enjoying sweet treats provided by their servants. In recent years it has become more common for people to eat it in restaurants rather than at home–but either way works! The main difference between high tea (which is eaten earlier in the day) and afternoon tea is that while both are served with sandwiches or other savory foods as well as sweets like scones or pastries; only one includes soup!
Masala Chai (India)
Masala Chai is a tea that’s made with spices, milk and sugar. It’s sweetened with sugar or honey and served hot or cold. The leaves used for masala chai are usually black tea leaves, ginger and cardamom pods. Cinnamon sticks are also sometimes added to this drink along with cloves which give it its distinctive flavor for which it is known worldwide today!
Bubble Tea (Taiwan)
Bubble tea, also known as boba tea or pearl milk tea, is a Taiwanese tea-based drink that has become popular in the US and Canada since the 1990s. It’s made by brewing black or green tea with sugar, then mixing it with fruit syrup and adding ice cubes. The addition of tapioca balls (also called boba) gives bubble tea its name–they’re chewy little spheres made from starch similar to tapioca root. Bubble tea originated in Taichung City (aka Tachung), Taiwan where people would add chewy tapioca pearls to their drinks as an alternative way to eat them outside the home before they became popular throughout Asia and beyond after World War II when soldiers brought them back home with them
Noon Chai (Pakistan)
Noon chai is a traditional tea in Pakistan. It’s made with milk, sugar, and spices including cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. These spices are ground and boiled with the milk and sugar before being poured over tea leaves to steep.
Sweet Tea (USA)
Sweet tea is a southern tradition. Sweet tea is usually brewed with a large amount of sugar, sometimes as much as twice that of regular iced tea. Sweet tea is often served in a glass filled to the brim with ice, which will melt over time and dilute your drink into something that resembles water but tastes vaguely like sweetened water. This can be remedied by adding more sugar and stirring vigorously until it turns into syrup! You should always have at least one lemon wedge on hand when serving sweetened iced teas because they make everything better (even if it’s just by adding some color).
Matcha Tea (Japan)
Matcha is a powdered green tea that is made by grinding the tea leaves into a fine powder. It can be served hot or cold and often comes with a sweetened milk, like matcha lattes and ice cream. The first step to making matcha is to steep the tea leaves in hot water until they turn bright green in color, which takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on your preference for strength. Next you will strain out these leaves using either cheesecloth or another fine mesh strainer (like this one). Then add sugar if desired before whisking vigorously until frothy!
Po Cha (Tibet)
Po Cha is a Tibetan tea that’s made from barley. It’s served with yak butter and salt, so it has a salty taste. The beverage is traditionally served by monks during their morning prayers, but can also be enjoyed by non-monks as well. A cup of this traditional Tibetan beverage contains almost 50% of your daily recommended amount of calcium, iron, and vitamin B12–all nutrients that are good for your bones and muscles!
Black Tea (Kenya)
Black tea is a type of tea that has been fully oxidized. It’s made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and is very popular in Kenya. Black tea originated in China, where it was known as “pu-erh.” The name “black” comes from its dark color, which is due to a process called fermentation that occurs when green leaves are exposed to air for long periods of time after picking them off their stems. This process produces tannins (which give wine its astringent quality), caffeine and other substances that give black teas their earthy flavor profile–and also make them more stable than green teas during shipping!
Cha Yen (Thailand)
Thai iced tea is a sweet and spicy drink made with black tea and milk, sweetened with sugar and served over ice. It is usually served in a tall glass with a straw. The flavor of this beverage comes from the spices added to it during preparation: star anise, cinnamon sticks or coriander seeds are often used for this purpose (although you can use any combination of these).
We hope that this guide has helped you understand the differences between different types of tea. We know how overwhelming it can be, with all these new terms and flavors! But now that you know what to expect when ordering your next cup of cha, we think it’ll be much easier for everyone involved–including yourself!
