Indians learned about the existence of tea from the British relatively recently. Today it seems almost unbelievable as tea took up a very important role in the life of Indians, especially in the North of the country (in the South they traditionally prefer coffee). Nevertheless, Indians who had lived with the tea tree side by side for centuries learned about the possibility to prepare with its leaves a refreshing and invigorating drink from "Sahibs" for whom tea was an opportunity to take a break from exhausting plantation labour and to dream about faraway home.

Today in every town in Northern India you will see small counters of tea-sellers. As a rule, there is a big metal pitcher on the counter that resembles Russian samovar, in which tea can remain hot for very long. A cup of tea costs almost nothing and Indians put a lot of milk and sugar in it. In the province of Punjab they also add boiling milk and hot spices to their tea.

Another good Indian custom is to serve tea at all railway stations and sometimes in the trains. One can truly appreciate this refreshing road tea only in the monsoon season when the heat becomes unbearable and the body quickly loses water (or dehydrates). From big pots tea is poured into small clay cups. Right after the tea is drunk the cups are broken. This is done so that the traveller is sure that people of lower castes will not drink from his cup.

At the same time the Tibetans do not worry at all about such prejudices. Tibet borders on China and tea became known to Tibetans exactly one thousand years earlier than to Indians. However, in contrast to Indian regions they drink green tea. The cup is always filled full - this is considered to bring luck. However, Tibetans drink tea completely in their own original way adding salt and goat's milk to it.

Tibet is the only place on earth where they sacrifice tea to gods. So there is special attitude to tea as to the most precious gift and essential part of hospitality.