Tea or Cha?

With just some small variations, the world really only has two ways to say tea.

Think about it the next time you have a steaming hot cup.

One is derived from the English “tea” or the Latin “te”, and the other is some version of “cha”, like “chay” in Persian, Urdu or Hindi.

But, did you know that both words came from China?

How they spread around the world is an example of globalization…

“Cha” spread across land routes such as the Silk Road, where the Persians until today have Zafrani Chay. A Steaming treat made from tea leaves, infused saffron and sugar.

Karak Chai is another delight- which is a boiled milky drink made from steamed tea leaves, cardamom, sugar and condensed milk. A favorite of India, Pakistan, and the Middle East; and translated as “Hard Tea.”

“Cha” even made its way to Tanzania and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa.

I was pleasantly surprised to have spicy masala tea at a spice farm while reuniting with my college friend in Tanzania.

The spice tea of Tanzania.

Waiting for a cup of Chai with Ruth (July 2015)

And the “Tea” leaves spread across the naval trade routes of the Dutch and the Portuguese in the 1700s-bringing the leaves to Europe to be celebrated.

A few cultures have also celebrated the novel leaves through ceremonies, such as the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Other cultures also have meals around the drink- such as the Spanish Merianda, the Moroccan Gouter, and the English High Tea,

Last, but not least, you just learnt a new word in a few different languages.

 

Credits:

Alya. “Chai Karak: The Popular Drink That’s Rapidly Spreading in the Gulf.” Khaleejesque, 28 Aug. 2014, khaleejesque.com/2011/09/lifestyle/chai-karak-the-popular-drink-thats-rapidly-spreading-in-the-gulf/.

Sonnad, Nikhil. “Tea If by Sea, Cha If by Land: Why the World Only Has Two Words for Tea.” Quartz, Quartz, 11 Jan. 2018, qz.com/1176962/map-how-the-word-tea-spread-over-land-and-sea-to-conquer-the-world/.

Special Thanks to Chen-Yong Cher for the amazing topic, and Ruth Sabai for taking me on a spice tour in Zanzibar, Tanzania.