Almost 5,000 years ago, when folks in China started sipping a yummy, steeped beverage made from dried leaves and buds, different regions had different names for it. Most Chinese languages, including Mandarin and Cantonese, referred to the stuff by a word that is pronounced like “chá.” But other dialects, including Min Nan Chinese, which was spoken around Fujian, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan, referred to it by a word that sounds more like “te.”
—Mental Floss
So the name for tea in other countries depended upon how it was imported.
I love trivia like this. It touches on a lot of history and expands my mental horizons.
August 5, 2023
that’s interesting – and it is noted that here in NZ – there are different labelling especially in cafes, I guess has to do with where the brand originated … or does it seem more fancy to say Chai rather than plain old Tea 🙂
I too was wondering about the use of the name Chai now. 🙂
That is interesting.
🙂
Like the others, I found this very interesting. Who knew!?!?
🙂
I’m not fond of tea, but this is really interesting!
Same here!
A very cool thing to learn today! I love trivia like this, especially word origins.
Me too!
I love teas!!!!!
🙂