Did you know that most of the world uses the same two words for tea? One variation is the one used in English (tea), French (thé), Spanish (té) and Dutch (thee). The other is a variation of chá (in Mandarin and Cantonese), such as chai in Hindi, shay in Arabic and chay in Russian. There’s an interesting reason for this.

Both words originate in China, which is widely believed to be the ‘home of tea’ and where the plant was first domesticated, and come from the Chinese character: 茶. In Mandarin and Cantonese, it’s pronounced ‘cha’. Countries around the world that use the word ‘cha’ originally imported tea over land, through the Silk Road, from the northern regions of China where they pronounce the word ‘cha’.

However, in the dialect spoken in the southern coastal province of Fujian, the word is pronounced ‘te’. This port is where 17th century Dutch merchants traded tea to bring to Europe, bringing back with them the pronunciation of ‘tea’. There are, of course, exceptions to this. But for the most part, wherever you are in the world, there’s a good chance you’ll know how to ask for a cup of tea with just those two words! 

Tea’s etymology is just one element of its fascinating heritage. Its growth and production have been a part of cultures across the globe for centuries. To celebrate this, four incredible tea production areas have been designated Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) sites for their combination of unique landscapes, agricultural heritage and traditional farming methods passed down for generations.