The importance of tea and coffee in the emergence of a globalized world
Every morning, as we wake up, the first thing we do is get ourselves that steaming hot cup of tea or coffee. People go up to even say that they cannot even function without their morning cuppa. These beverages have a compulsory spot in every kitchen, for the simple reason that everyone needs more than wants caffeine in their day. People feel rejuvenated, alert and ready to face the challenges that everyday life poses. Even Rudyard Kipling had to say about tea:
“We had a kettle; we let it leak:
Our not repairing made it worse.
We haven't had any tea for a week...
The bottom is out of the Universe.”[1]
It is quite evident what Kipling feels due to that lack of tea. The bottom is out of the universe, meaning he can’t find any balance in the universe. Nothing to make him steady on his feet. This is the importance of tea. Coffee drinkers feel the same as well, although there exists quite a rivalry among the two groups. The bottom line is the same. People cannot survive without their tea or coffee. From necessity, these drinks have now taken a more important place in our lives. At work, we get tea breaks that help us refresh ourselves, when we want to socialize, we usually “catch up for coffee” and so on.[2] Coffee and tea have taken such an important role in our lives today that businessmen could only think of profiting out of this. Look at the success of coffee chains like Starbucks, Costa, Barista and so on and one can understand just exactly how important this drink is to us. Let us visit how these drinks came to be a part of the global economy.
History of Tea
Tea was said to be discovered in China almost 5,000 years ago. Legend says that in 2732 B.C., Emperor Shen Nung was exposed to tea when wild leaves leaves from a tree blew into his pot of boiling water. He was intrigued by the pleasant aroma of the brew and curiously drank some.[3] It is said that the...