Best Tea in the World You Need to Try (And Where to Find It!)

Is your goal to find the best tea in the world? Tea is the most popular beverage worldwide, just after water, and people have enjoyed tea for thousands of years. It’s easy to incorporate tea into your travels by visiting tea plantations, tea factories, tea houses, tea shops and cafes serving tea from near and far.

While you might want to travel to tea destinations like China, Japan, Sri Lanka, and India, you can also try some of the best tea in the world from the comfort of home. Nowadays, many tea companies source their tea leaves from the best places for tea worldwide. There are also some really delightful and delicious tea blends using tea leaves and various herbs.

In addition to trying the best tea in the world, you should experience different tea ceremonies when you travel. Many different cultures have traditional tea ceremonies. People from that country or culture brew and serve the tea in a very specific way. In many instances, the tea ceremony follows specific methods and it’s even thought to be an art form.

In this blog post about the best tea in the world, I’m going to show you where to find the most famous kinds of tea. I’ll detail the most popular varieties of tea and where they originate. But first, I’m going to share my favourite tea that I can enjoy from the comfort of home or packed in my bag as I travel around the world.

Best Tea in the World: My Favourite Tea to Drink at Home

You can easily make some of the best tea in the world right at home. I’ve found my new favourite premium tea brand, Buddha Teas, and I’m really excited to share it with you! Buddha Teas is one of the best tea brands. They carefully craft their high quality tea to keep the body and mind in perfect balance.

Their nourishing teas offer those moments of peace and serenity that we all crave. Buddha Teas is not only delicious, but can help your overall wellness, increase energy levels, or evoke complete relaxation. Aside from the fact that the tea tastes amazing, here are some reasons why I love Buddha Teas:

• They only use high quality, active and bioavailable ingredients
• Uses 100% USDA Certified Organic ingredients where possible, and never contain GMOs, MSG, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives (love organic teas!)
• Buddha Teas is responsible and sustainable in their sourcing and manufacturing practices
• They work closely with farmers and local suppliers to ensure that the tea is harvested using sustainable practices
• They only use bleach and toxin free, environmentally-friendly tea bags

The Tea Blends I Love

Here are a few Buddha Teas blends that I’ve tried and absolutely adore. These are perfect throughout the winter season, anytime your body’s natural defenses need a little boost, or those times where you’re feeling stressed or anxious.

Meditation Moment helps you slow down and be in the present moment. This tea is made from a blend of calming flowers and herbs, such as chamomile, holy basil, lavender, lemongrass, ashwagandha, spearmint and rose petals. With Meditation Moment, you can take a deep breath, sip tea, and let go of your anxiety and stress.

Echinacea Elderberry Blend helps strengthen your body’s defenses anytime you need it. Both echinacea and elderberry have healing and protecting properties, and this tea also contains high levels of vitamin C. Buddha Teas has also added fennel and licorice root for even more delicious flavour.

Cold Weather Defense Blend will warm you up on a chilly day with a variety of supportive herbs. Ginger root, elderberry, hyssop, spearmint, eucalyptus leaf and nettle leaf create a tea with anti-inflammatory properties that’s also great for the digestive system. Hibiscus flower adds a tangy and fruity taste.

A Brief History of Tea

Over 4000 years ago, as legend has it, Chinese Emperor Nun Shen discovered tea. While traveling, he and his servants stopped to boil some water over a fire. Some tea leaves from a nearby tree blew into the pot and released a fragrant aroma. The Emperor tasted the tea and loved it. From that point onward, the popularity of tea spread throughout China and Japan.

In the 8th century, Chinese author, Lu Yu, wrote the first book on tea and the proper methods to prepare it. In Japan, the Japanese Tea Ceremony became an art form and is closely associated with Zen Buddhism. Tea was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and also in traditional medicine like Ayurveda.

In the 16th century, Dutch traders brought tea to Europe. The East India Company from England transformed tea into a globally traded commodity. Tea became a huge part of English culture. Nowadays, tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world.

How is Tea Made?

All kinds of tea come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. This means that green tea, black tea, white tea, and any other variety is made from the very same tea leaves. It is the production process that determines the aromatic scent and flavour profiles of the tea. Herbal teas are a little bit different in that they are created from various herbs and plants. They may not actually contain any tea leaves at all.

The Camellia sinensis plant grows in tropical and subtropical climates. It prefers acidic soil and a significant amount of rainfall, meaning that the plant can grow anywhere from England to New Zealand. Tea plants tend to be more potent when they grow at a higher altitude.

Tea is harvested when workers pluck the leaves from the top one or two inches of the tea plant. They’re usually plucked by hand and placed into large wicker baskets. Then, the tea leaves are examined, sorted, and processed using methods that are specific to the different varieties of tea. Much of it relates to the oxidation of the tea leaves: the more oxidized, the darker the tea.

Interesting Facts About Tea

Here are a few interesting facts about tea that you might not have realized:

• It takes about 2000 tea leaves to make one pound of tea
• There are around 3000 different types of tea
• Turkish people consume the most tea, followed by the Irish
• Tea has many health benefits, like lower risks of liver disease, depression, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes

Best Tea in the World: The Best Places to Drink Tea

Here are the top countries in the world that serve the best tea. Many of these places have a deep and rich history involving tea, and there are specific methods to serve it. Tea is a beloved beverage by these particular nations. Since tea is much loved worldwide, it’s often easy to sample tea from these places at home. However, you may have to travel there to participate in the traditional tea ceremonies.

China

As tea is thought to have originated in China, the country is home to some of the world’s oldest tea ceremonies and tea houses. Many kinds of tea, including green tea, started in China. This type of tea is the least processed of all the varieties of tea and thought to be one of the healthiest beverages in the world.

If you’re a fan of tea and looking to incorporate some tea tourism to your trip to China, these are the best places to visit. Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province grows one of China’s top rated green teas, West Lake Dragon Well Tea. I suggest booking this tour, which offers a trip to Hangzhou and the Longjing tea village. You can also visit the Hangzhou Tea Museum, China’s only museum dedicated to the history of tea.

Other great places to visit for tea in China include Suzhou (China’s second favourite imperial tea is Suzhou’s Green Spiral Tea), Huangshan (for black tea and flower tea), Chengdu (Ya’an pressed dark tea), and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province (Pu’er tea/Pu-erh tea).

Japan

Green tea is by far the most popular tea in Japan. An assortment of the best tea in the world comes from Japan, whether it’s jasmine green tea leaves, genmaicha (green tea with roasted rice), sencha, gyokuro, tencha or matcha. You can also find Japanese oolong tea and Japanese black tea, but green tea is the most common (accounting for 90% of tea in Japan).

Kyoto remains the centre of the Japanese tea ceremony, and I suggest booking this experience at the Jotokuji Temple in Kyoto. You’ll be taught about the fine art of drinking matcha tea and the importance of this tea ceremony. Tea drinkers will adore this fascinating tour.

Matcha is one of the most expensive and highest quality teas. It only grows in specific regions of Japan and you can only harvest matcha for two months out of the year (May – June). It’s only ground in small batches and there is a high worldwide demand for matcha nowadays (whereas it used to only be used in Japanese tea ceremonies).

Sri Lanka

Ceylon tea is an essential part of daily life in Sri Lanka, as well as a popular export. Almost 5% of Sri Lanka’s population works in the tea industry, whether it’s picking tea leaves or working in the plantation factories. The central highlands around Kandy, Dimbula and Nuwara Eliya are sculptured by tea plantations. It’s also possible to visit the Ceylon Tea Museum in Kandy.

One of the best things to do in Sri Lanka is explore the tea plantations and taste the tea itself. You can incorporate a trip to the tea plantations surrounding Nuwara Eliya with the magical train journey. It’s easy to find Sri Lankan tea leaves from local shops (or even at the airport) to bring some home with you, too.

When you visit Sri Lanka, you can take a full day tour to immerse yourself in the history of tea production. You’ll visit the Dambatenne Tea Factory, witnessing how tea is grown and produced, before trying some tea for yourself. Then, you’ll travel to the Lipton’s Seat Lookout, one of Sri Lanka’s most impressive viewpoints. Book your tour here.

India

India is one of the world’s biggest tea producers and consumers, especially its masala chai (black tea, milk, sugar, ginger, cardamom, and possibly other spices, too). Each region and community adapted the recipe to their own tastes. While chai originates in India, it’s now popular all over the world at various cafes and teahouses.

Assam and Darjeeling are popular varieties of tea in India, and some of the best tea in the world. These teas are named for the region where they are grown. About 50% of the tea in India is produced in Assam, while 25% of the tea is grown in Darjeeling. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are other tea regions in India.

Morocco

The most famous tea from Morocco is the Moroccan Mint Tea, also known as Maghrebi Mint Tea. Every family in Morocco has a Moroccan tea set, sitting on a polished silver tray. Traditionally, men prepare the tea and they pour it from a height to create a little bit of foam.

Moroccan tea combines green Chinese gunpowder tea with Moroccan mint, as well as sugar. Some men add up to a dozen sugar cubes per small teapot, while women tend to use a little less sugar. Guests usually enjoy three cups of tea at once, and every cup gets a little bit stronger.

You can enjoy tea anytime in Morocco at a teahouse and you’ll always receive tea with your meal. Enjoying tea is a very social event, and you should take the time to savour it. Don’t rush drinking tea in Morocco. Moroccan Mint Tea is one of the best teas in the world.

South Africa

Rooibos isn’t a “real tea” as it’s a herb tea made from the leaves of a shrub called Aspalathus linearis. It’s an herbal tea that comes from South Africa, and it’s a great alternative to black tea and green tea. Rooibos tea is also called red tea or red bush tea, and the plant only grows in South Africa. You can buy it as a loose leaf tea or in a tea bag.

In South Africa, rooibos can be served hot or cold, and people often add milk and sugar. Some might add cinnamon, lemon zest, or other fruits and spices. It’s often available as herbal infusions. It’s free from caffeine, low in tannins, and packed with antioxidants. While it’s not truly a tea in the sense of the word, rooibos still tops this list of the best teas in the world as an herbal tea.

Turkey

Turkey grows 1/5th of the world’s tea supply, mostly to keep up with their own demand. After all, Turkish people consume the most tea. On average, someone from Turkey drinks seven pounds of tea every year. While apple tea in Turkey is mostly a tourist thing, traditional Turkish tea is black tea.

Turks use special curved, clear tea glasses with a plate underneath so it’s easier to carry and serve. If you’re a guest in a Turkish home, the host will offer tea as much as the guest wishes. People in Turkey drink tea in all seasons, with meals, and anytime they’re relaxing. It’s among the best tea in the world.

Kenya

Kenya is the third largest tea producer in the world, after China and India. In fact, Kenya is the world’s largest exporter of tea, exporting over 450,000 tons of tea each year. At over 2,000 meters in elevation, Kenya has the highest elevation of tea gardens in Africa. In addition, the volcanic soil naturally produces some of the world’s most flavourful tea.   

I enjoyed some of the best tea in the world when I traveled to Kenya. The country produces mostly black tea, but also makes green tea, yellow tea, and white tea. Black tea in Kenya has a distinct amber brown colour, and it has a uniquely robust, well-bodied flavour. You can pick some up at the grocery store in Kenya. It’s also possible to embark on a tea plantation tour from Nairobi to learn about the history of tea at the Kiambethu Tea Farm.

Great Britain

In the 1660s, tea was introduced to England by Catherine de Braganza, the Portuguese wife of King Charles II after they wed. Tea prices were very expensive until the 1800s. Once the cost of tea became affordable for everyone, the culture of tea spread across England.

In 1840, Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, introduced the concept of afternoon tea to the country. She dined with her family for dinner around 8:00pm, and Anna grew hungry between the lengthy break between lunch and dinner. So, in the late afternoon each day, Anna requested a tray of tea, bread and butter, and cake to tide her over.

Her friends soon joined her for a cup of tea and eat little pastries, and other aristocratic circles started to participate in the ritual. This daily tradition to pause for afternoon tea became a widespread phenomenon and social event across England.

Black tea is the most popular tea in England, followed by Earl Grey, oolong, and herbal teas. English Breakfast tea is one of the most consumed teas in the United Kingdom, and Earl Gray is a blend of the rind of bergamot orange’s oil and black tea leaves.

Want to create your own English afternoon tea party at home? Tea lovers, rejoice! Here are some great vegan recipes to create a delightful British tea party, no matter where you are in the world.

There are lots of ways to experience the culture of tea when you visit London and England. It’s possible to have afternoon tea on a double decker bus in London, and you can also enjoy afternoon tea on a cruise of the River Thames.

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