Do you know, where did this tea came from?
We all know that, it was the British who introduced tea to the Indians. But it is also a traditional story, that British acquired their love of tea from India. By the end of the 18th century tea had become the British drink.
Do you know, at the beginning of twentieth century , the majority of Indians did not know how to make a cup of tea.
Coffee had been introduced into India by the Arabs , Persians and central Asians who found employment under the Mughals . But the coffee drinking habit was confined to wealthy Muslims.
But where did this tea come from?
Tea drinking began in China during the fourth century. From China , it spread to Japan between 6th and 8th century .It also spread in Tibet , Himalayan region and north of India , where tea was drunk as a kind of soup mixed with butter .
European East India merchants brought tea with them to India from China.
Do you know?
Tea was initially used by monks in China as a herbal remedy for headaches and pains in the joints , as well as an aid to meditation. But sooner it became the favourite everyday drink with the majority of the population. Even today also , Indians regards ginger juice and mix of spiced tea as a cure for cold , cough, headache , even lemon tea is so famous for fat loss .
Today variety of tea available in market with different health benefits like green tea, herbal tea ,oolong ,white tea ,fermented tea ,black tea and so many.
Cultivation of tea in india
It was 1823 when India comes in sight of tea cultivation under British agent in Assam . Later , in 1834 , Lt. Andrew Charlton of the Assam Light Infantry , persuade the authorities in Calcutta to investigate the possibility of growing tea in India.
Since tea was the main import from China , therefore British East India Company became concerned that they might lose their monopoly of China trade. They had an interest in finding an alternative source of tea. Therefore , in February 1834 , Governor General William Bentinck appointed a tea committee , to look into the idea that India might be a good place to set up the company’s own tea production under the latest efficient means of agricultural production. But its not that easy , as China is the only country supplier of tea, it was extremely difficult to gain access to tea manufactures and to supply for tea plants and seeds from China.
Despite all the failures , the tea growers of Assam managed to produce twelve chest of tea in 1838. The company handed over its plantations to the newly founded Assam Tea Company in 1840. In 1865 , they realised they would never make a profit , and the tea-mania businessmen sold in aa panic and prices crashed. But the producers of Indian tea were at last ready to challenge the Chinese and, in the 1880.
By 1900, only 10% of the tea consumed in Britain came from China while 50% came from India and 33 from Ceylon. Although tea was associated with India , Indians still not drink it themselves. In 1955, the per capita consumption in India was still only half a pound , compared with nearly 10 pounds in Britain. But the marketing campaign was so successful at introducing tea into India that at the end of the twentieth century, the Indian population , which had barely touched a drop of tea in 1900, were drinking almost 70% of there huge crop.
Tea is now an integral part of everyday life in India.
Presenting a short and quick recipe of spiced tea directly from Cawnpore mill area in the 1930s.
4tbsp ground ginger
2tbsp whole blackpepper
2tbsp green cardamom seeds
1tbsp whole cloves
pot of tea , milk and sugar
Grind the spices and store the powder in an air tight container and add 1/2 tsp to a pot of tea.
Jamal's Corner 