Authentic Tea Rituals From the Best Tea Drinkers

Do you know which country drinks the most tea in the world? If you guessed China, you are correct! China is the largest producer of tea in the world — they are also the birthplace of tea.

They drink about 1.6 billion pounds of tea a year, which is so much more than any other country. China alone consumes about 50% of the world’s green tea supply. And India comes in second place as the second largest consumer of tea in the world — but this is mostly because of population. 

China and India might consume the most tea overall as a country, but the average person doesn’t drink all that much tea a day. If India and China aren’t home to the biggest tea drinkers in the world, who is?

It turns out that India and China don’t even make the top 15 on the list of biggest tea lovers around the world. In fact, according to the survey, China comes in at 19th place and India comes in at 27th place. 

Let’s explore the 5 biggest tea-loving countries in the world — the countries that drink the most tea per person — and discover how they enjoy preparing their tea every single day.

# 5 - Morocco

Morocco is ranked fifth on the list of highest tea drinkers in the world. The average person in Morocco drinks about 2.7 pounds of tea a year — which is about 670 cups a year or a little under two cups of tea a day. The most popular kind of tea in Morocco is Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea, which is higher in caffeine than the average green tea. It’s shaped in the form of little pellets — hence the name “gunpowder.” 

This bold, malty, smoky tea is made in a teapot and poured into tea cups from a high position. As the long stream of tea fills the cup, foam forms on the surface. It’s believed that pouring tea this way adds some oxygen back into the water that was lost while the water boiled. 

People in Morocco don’t add milk to their tea, but they love sugar and mint. After the first serving of tea is poured, the teapot is filled with hot water but tea leaves are not added to the teapot. Instead, Moroccans add spearmint leaves and sugar to the tea and let this steep. People in northern Morocco tend to drink tea that is not as sweet as people who live in the south.

# 4 - Russia

Russia comes in fourth place with the average person consuming about three pounds of tea a year. This comes out to about 763 cups a year — or a little over two cups of tea a day. 

In Russia, the popular way to make tea is with tea bags in a cup. Strong black tea is the most popular kind of tea. When tea is made in a teapot, it’s made extra strong and poured into cups. Hot water can be added to dilute the strong tea to your liking.  

Tea is taken with lemon and either sugar or sometimes jam or marmalade. Adding milk isn’t very common. Instead of putting sugar in the tea, sometimes a sugar cube is placed between their teeth so it slowly dissolves while the tea is being sipped. 

A small spoonful of jam is a delicious substitute for regular sugar and can be added directly to your teacup. It can also be put in your mouth — as tea is sipped through the jam it creates a rich and sweet experience. There is even a region in Russia that adds butter and a pinch of salt and sugar to their tea, which creates a rich and malty beverage.

# 3 - United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is the birthplace of Afternoon Tea — that delightfully proper meal filled with decadent finger sandwiches, scones, and desserts. They are indeed obsessed with tea, but you might be surprised to learn that they come in third place as the world’s biggest tea drinkers. The average person consumes about 4.3 pounds of tea a year — which is about 1,070 cups a year or a little under three cups of tea a day. 

About 84% of people in England drink a daily cuppa. The average person drinks about three cups of tea a day. Black tea is the most popular, and sugar or milk is added to taste — sometimes even lemon. You might be surprised to learn that teapots are not widely used in the UK — about 70% of the time, they steep their tea directly in their tea cup or mug

About half of the time, tea is enjoyed with some kind of treat in the UK. It turns out that 50% of people take their tea with biscuits and about 10% enjoy their tea with cake. 

# 2 - Ireland

Ireland might be known for hearty mugs of beer, but you might be surprised to learn that tea beats beer as the most consumed drink. Ireland comes in second place as the home of the biggest tea drinkers in the world. 

Tea might have been introduced to Ireland as a “high-class” enjoyment, but tea is now a daily habit and ritual for everyone. Today, the average person consumes 4.8 pounds of tea a year which comes out to about 1,208 cups of tea a year — that’s 3.3 cups of tea a day.

The Irish enjoy their black tea robust and hearty — milk and sugar are added according to individual taste. Making tea correctly is important. Tea might be an everyday necessity, but the Irish believe that making tea properly is the only way to make tea. And that starts with the water. 

Tea is always made with fresh cold water that hasn’t been previously boiled. Did you know that using pre-boiled water changes the freshness and flavor of your tea? Yes, you can boil water too much or too many times — and the Irish know this all too well. Once the water starts to boil, it’s immediately used to brew the tea in a mug or a teapot. In Ireland, they don’t call it “steeping” tea — they call it “brewing” tea. 

# 1 - Turkey

China might consume the largest amount of tea overall, because of its large population, but people in Turkey drink the most tea per person. The average Turkish person drinks about seven pounds of tea a year. This is about 1,740 cups a year or four to five cups a day, making them, by far, the biggest tea drinkers in the world.

Tea in Turkey is served in tulip-shaped glass cups — with or without a handle — on top of a small saucer. It’s believed that this type of glass keeps the tea hotter for a little longer. Tea has been around in Turkey since the 1500s — due to its prime location along the Silk Road — but tea only started to gain popularity after WW1. 

Black tea is the most popular kind of tea in Turkey and they grow most of their own tea. They like their tea strong and sweet. They don’t add milk to their tea, but they do add a few sugar cubes to each cup of strong black tea. Another way to drink sweetened tea is to place a sugar cube under the tongue and let it slowly dissolve with every sip of hot tea.  

Teaware and Teas for Every Tea Lover

You might not consume five cups of tea a day, but that doesn’t mean you love tea less than people in Turkey. You enjoy the quality and comfort of a hot teapot on a cool day, and the refreshing chill of iced tea when it’s hot outside. And here, at Teabloom, you can create that irresistible teatime moment each and every day. 

Explore beautifully handcrafted borosilicate glass teaware, USDA Certified Organic teas, Kosher teas, and so much more. Find exactly what you need to enjoy a perfect and satisfying cup of tea today at Teabloom. 

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