Africa also has many tea-producing countries. Kenya, Malawi,and Mozambique are all major black tea exporters to Europe and the United States. Kenya is a new tea-producing country that recently emerged in the 20th Century. It is the third largest black tea producing and exporting country in the world, after India and Sri Lanka. The tea industry has become the backbone of Kenyan economy and an important source of foreign currency.
These African countries produce black tea. Many of them also follow Islam, which prohibits alcohol and promotes tea. Interestingly, unlike the Muslims in other countries, who drink black tea, they prefer green tea. Major green tea consuming countries include Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Nigeria, Zambia, Niger, Liberia,and Togo and they all import their green tea from China.
The reason of their preference for green tea has to do with Africa's climate and their diet. Most African countries are located either in or around the Sahara, which is the world's largest hot desert. The climate is hot and dry throughout the year. Therefore, people sweat often and it is very difficult for the body to retain water. Furthermore, the African diet consists of primarily beef and mutton and lacks vegetables. Green tea can quench thirst,reduce body heat, and supplement the body with water. But more importantly, green tea is helpful in removing extra fat,improving digestion, and supplementing the body with essential nutrients like vitamins- Therefore, the unique effect and flavour of green tea is exactly what people living in the African climate need. Now many cannot live without green tea.
The way green tea is drank in Africa is, of course, completely different from in China. People in Africa like to put sugar cubes and mint leaves in their tea. Sugar adds extra carbohydrates and mint's cool taste helps to relieve heat. The combination of tea, sugar and mint is perfect for those people living in Africa.
The tea drinking customs of Morocco are the most representative of Africa, Tea is very popular here. And the Moroccans emphasize the extravagance around tea. Moroccan tea wares are very valuable artworks. The King of Morocco and government officials often give state guests tea wares as gifts. A set of exquisite Moroccan tea wares can weigh hundreds of kilograms. Drinking tea is now a major part of Moroccan culture.
The popularity of tea is by no means limited to the upper class. Common people also enjoy tea in their own ways. In the busy markets, on the narrow streets, in the flowing crowds, you can always see young boys holding tin trays hastily passing you by. On their tea trays, there is usually a tin pot and a couple of glasses. These are the young lads from teahouses delivering tea for their guests.
Tea booths are usually the busiest places in town. As the fire bums in front of the booth, one sees the boiling water in the kettle seething of tea leaves from a sack, hammers down a big piece of sugar from another sack, then takes a handful of mint leaves, and stuffs everything into a small tin pot. Then he pours the boiling water into the pot and lets it boil for a white longer. Then tea is served.
Compared to the Chinese, the Moroccans use about twice as much tea leaves for every glass. They drink tea at least three times a day, and every time they drink a couple of glasses. When guests visit, the host must serve three consecutive glasses of the aromatic, cool and sweet minty green tea. To show respect, the guests must also finish all three glasses.
In many African countries,after getting up in the morning, ,the first thing people do after praying is drink tea. Then the day officially starts.