When Tea For Two Is Not Enough-Part One

By Adam Majewski

Bismillah

Minneapolis, MN-There is an old american song which goes 'Two For Tea Or Tea For Two' which has made me think of tea's history. When I think of tea, I think of my mother. She didn't drink tea all the time, but enough to imprint the memory of her sitting in a chair contemplating her life trying to relax from the stress of her day. Tea was her saving grace when my sister and I where children.

Culturally tea is everywhere. The traditions around the world from place to place are incredibly different, yet sometimes similar. For the most part many people when they think tea, the first place's which come to mind are England and Japan. Reason being they have the most publicized traditions of tea drinking around the world.

The origin of tea is simple, the act of drinking tea started as a medicinal tonic in china. The legend associated with it says it was discovered by the emperor in 2737 BC. Since then it has spread to be the most widely consumed beverage around the world.

One of the highest per capita consumer cultures is, Islam. It has become the Islamic social and cultural drink like wine and beer in the west. It is not just the study drink for students in most Muslim nations around the world, there are a staggering amount of customs and "rituals" ranging from the traditional aspects of serving tea to your guests, to all day tea drinking ceremonies.

This subject of tea in Islamic culture is such a large topic. To try and fill in to one article would overwhelm any reader. This series will be covering hospitality, afternoon tea to the similar tea customs from other culture's then just Islam. this beginning is just to give you a focus point of what is to come.

So grab a cup of tea and enjoy with this series of articles as they come.