The United Nations General Assembly invites all United Nations member states and United Nations observers, organizations of the United Nations system, other international and regional organizations and other relevant stakeholders, including civil society, the Private sector and academia, to observe International Tea Day on May 22 in an appropriate manner and in accordance with national priorities, through education and activities aimed at raising public awareness of the importance of tea for, inter alia, rural development and sustainable livelihoods.

FORUM : How one humble Plant leaves became the world’s second most popular beverage, discovered by accident 4000 years ago?

Tea plant production and processing contributes to the reduction of extreme poverty (Goal 1), the fight against hunger (Goal 2), the empowerment of women (Goal 5) and the sustainable use of Terrestrial Ecosystems(Goal 15).

THE ORIGIN OF TEA

The mythical first cuppa has brewed a fair few tales.

One legend goSs something like this: around 2700 BC, Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, was meditating under a tree while waiting for his billy to boil.

Without Shen noticing, a couple of leaves from a nearby shrub blew into the water. When Shen tasted the resulting brew, he was pleasantly surprised and amazed by the delightful new taste – and our much loved cup of tea was born.

The Chinese have enjoyed a tasty cuppa since for tens of thousands of years – with the Han Dynasty Emperors enjoying a brew in the 10th century BC. The Japanese then joined them in the sixth century AD, as tea became a beverage of choice for priests.

TEA TAKES OVER

Marco Polo was the first to tell Europe about this ancient tradition, as did The Dutch East India Company who first brought tea to Amsterdam from China in the 17th century.

In the 1600s tea become the height of fashion in Paris, a trend which the Russians followed – importing leaves on the backs of camels, travelling as hundreds of caravans from China.

Ironically, the English began their love affair with tea in London’s coffeehouses – offered as a new alternative. Quickly the empire wanted to grow their own leaves, establishing plantations in India, to rival China’s monopoly – and become the world’s top producer for nearly a century.

BRITISH COLONISATION BRINGS TEA TO AUSTRALIA

Aboriginal Australians have infused leaves from the ‘ti tree’ for hundreds of years – although a different plant to the traditional ‘tea’ species of camellia sinensis. With British colonisation of Australia came tea culture – arriving on board the First Fleet of 1788.

But, while we enjoy a morning, afternoon or evening tea just like the Brits, us Aussies have the luxury of teas blended for Australian tastes – like Bushells.

Our founder Alfred ‘the Tea Man’ Bushell was Australia’s first tea entrepreneur, opening his first shop in present-day Queensland 125 years ago. His sons expanded the business to Sydney soon after, to found Australia’s first ever commercial tea seller – Bushell’s Company – which created tea especially for Aussie tastes.

Even then, he knew was onto something: today tea is the world’s second most popular beverage, second only to water – and us Aussies drink 22 million cups a day!

Global

• Lipton (Unilever) ; In 1914, Lipton's tea were one of the sponsors for the first flight from Melbourne to Sydney by French aviator Maurice Guillaux. This was, at the time, the longest air mail and air freight flight in the world. Guillaux wrote, "I found it the most delicious tea I have ever tasted....I found it very soothing to the nerves." Lipton printed 250,000 copies of the letter, and these could be had by sending to Lipton a one-penny stamp. For a threepenny stamp, Lipton would send out a quarter-pound pack of tea

• Tetley (Tata Global Beverages): As India reduces import duties on tea, Tata Global Beverages has offset its reduced share of the domestic market by gains in Europe and North America. In April 2014, Columbia Law School and The Guardian reported that some of Tetley's tea is harvested by workers who do not receive the minimum wage in India

• Twinings (Associated British Foods): Twinings' ethical tea programme, Sourced with Care, aims to improve the quality of life in the communities from which it buys tea.

• Dilmah is a Sri Lankan brand of tea, sold internationally, today the world's most experienced teamaker, has championed quality, authenticity and variety in tea.

• Bushells is an Australian company that produces tea and coffee. The much loved humble tea bag has a rich, complex story – as do the hundreds of varieties still enjoyed across the globe today. The processes have remained largely unchanged, except for mechanisation. But, those moments with friends and family shared over a cuppa are more precious than ever.

• Madam Flavour and the secrets of tea drinking . In 2016, the brand worked with Smiling Mind to create a three-minute tea-infusion meditation ritual. The app-based ritual is focused on fostering mindfulness

• T2 (or Tea too) is a chain of specialty tea shops established in Australia. From berries to apples, vanilla and citrus, these refreshing drops are fruity sweet and ready to sip!