| Origins of the Culture | | | | cultivation in Assam and in 1837 they established |
| Tea drinking in India first started (or was at least | | | | the first English Tea Garden there. By the turn of |
| first documented), in 750 B.C. Tea is indigenous to | | | | the century this region in Assam became the |
| the Northern and Eastern parts of India and has | | | | leader in the entire world, for tea production |
| since grown exponentially, making India one of the | | | | India and Tea in the 21st Century |
| largest growers and producers of tea in the world. | | | | India was recently surpassed by China (due to the |
| The majority of tea is used within India itself, and | | | | vast acreage available there) as being the top |
| since its use by Buddhist monks, has been utilized | | | | producer of tea. India is the world's largest tea |
| for thousands of years. Its use as a drink was | | | | drinking country and they have acquired British |
| started by local regions in the country using the | | | | brands Tetley and Typhoo. Per person, the |
| wild native plants in their area. Since then, | | | | average consumption is less than a cup but this is |
| hundreds of varieties are developed and grown, | | | | due to income level (low) and the large population. |
| with Darjeeling and Assam perhaps being the | | | | India does lead the world in most tea technology |
| most popular worldwide. The world famous British | | | | but the ways that the crop is harvested varies |
| East India Company started commercial | | | | by the scope of the terrain and the variety of |
| production of tea in India and converted massive | | | | the tea. Small and fine-leaved teas are hand |
| tracts of land to its production. | | | | plucked, or shears are used if the slopes are |
| Development of the History | | | | mountainous. Low grade tea for teabags can be |
| In the 16th century, a Dutch explorer noted that | | | | harvested by machines and the fine tea "lint" |
| the people used the tea leaves a s a vegetable | | | | created when the tea is being processed is used |
| side dish, along with garlic and oil as well as boiling | | | | as a caffeine source for medicines, soft drinks |
| the leaves to make a drink from them. In the | | | | and other products. Through the centuries, tea |
| 1800s, people in Assam told a Calcutta publisher | | | | has become integral to the Indian culture, |
| that the imported seeds of Chinese tea were | | | | economy and way of life. Take tea away, and |
| now growing as plants in their area jungle. The | | | | you remove the essence of this vibrant and |
| British East India Company took over the | | | | populous Asian country. |