African tea culture is a fascinating and diverse part of the continent's rich cultural heritage. The tea culture has deep roots in history and has been shaped by a wide range of traditions, rituals and local variations. African tea culture goes far beyond simply drinking a hot beverage – it is an important part of the society's social, cultural and ceremonial life.
Tea has an exciting history in Africa, where it was introduced at the end of the 1800s in connection with the British colonization of Africa. Today, Africa has become the fourth largest tea producer in the world and primarily produces black cut-tear-curl tea, CTC tea, which is a special method of processing tea.
The tea culture in Africa is rich in different flavors and traditions. It is an important part of many Africans' daily lives and festive events. So even though some African countries do not produce tea on a large scale themselves, they have a strong tradition of drinking tea. Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Senegal are some of these countries. Typically in these countries, it is popular to drink green gunpowder tea, which is green tea rolled into small balls.
However, Egypt has slightly different tea cultures, as a black tea called shai is widely drunk in the country, which comes in two varieties: Kashary Shai and Saidii Shai. Kashary Shai is a milder black tea where the tea leaves are steeped in hot water, while Saidii Shai is a strong bitter black tea where the tea leaves are boiled in hot water for a long time. Sugar is added to both teas, but especially in Saidii Shai, to balance the bitterness.
Then there are countries like Ethiopia, known for its coffee , where they mix tea with coffee in a drink called spreeze. Or countries like Libya, where they serve three servings, with peanuts added to the tea in the third serving.
We love green tea at Nordic Tea - primarily because of the tea's clean, delicate taste and beautiful colour. But is green tea healthy? A new study indicates that there may be something to the matter.
