In many parts of the world, tea is an important part of the day and an expression of hospitality.
When tea is being poured in China, guests tap two or three fingers on the table three times to show gratitude to the server.Although tea arrived in England in 1657, it did not immediately become popular. First sold in coffee houses, tea was heavily taxed, illegally smuggled, altered, and fought over. It took many years for it to become a quintessential English drink.
Tea was initially sold in coffee houses in England. Only men were allowed to enter coffee houses, which were full of smoke and noise. Finally, in 1717, the Twining family opened the Golden Lyon, a teashop that allowed women. The shop is still open today, and the Twinings company is a prominent English marketer of tea.
At one time in the late 18th century, tea in Britain was predominantly imported through illegal methods. Smugglers would often mix tea (most often green tea) with other types of leaves and additives to increase their profits. Often these additives were poisonous. The British government intervened in 1785 and lowered taxes, which made tea more affordable and wiped out illegal smuggling activity.
China is definitely one of the most unique countries in this world. Look how to they express respect to those who are serving the tea!
Maybe that's why they are one of the healthiest nations around the world...
