A Drink For All Occasions: Inside the History Behind Egypt’s Most Beloved Beverage
El Arosa Tea was one of few exceptions on Kantar’s, the world’s leading data, insights and consulting company’s list of most chosen beverage brands by market for 2020.
In a Coca-Cola dominated list, it was no surprise to see the locally made El Arosa Tea represent Egypt. But seeing Egyptians choose tea over an extensive list of beverages, made us wonder about where Egyptians’ love for tea stems from.
Egyptians took to their social media accounts to express their opinions on the matter, saying that El Arosa Tea rarely ever splurges on promotional campaigns, especially compared to a huge multinational like Coca-Cola.
Tea has become Egypt’s national beverage, a drink for all times and with all meals. Just finished a hefty meal? Have some tea. Feeling stressed? Have some tea. Can’t sleep? Have some tea.
It is the answer to most of Egyptians’ problems nationwide, no matter your age or what social class you belong to.
Tea is the unofficial Egyptian national drink.
Drinking tea dates back to various different regions and cultures for centuries.
According to Hackberry Tea, tea arrived in Egypt towards the 16th century and became easily attainable for people of various social and economical levels.
It attributed Egypt’s proximity to the Asian mainland and African border to the introduction and accessibility of tea.
Egypt consumes somewhere around 65,000 tons of tea, including imports of earl grey, green tea, Assam and flavored teas. The quality of tea is not as significant as the act of drinking tea itself, gathered between loved ones, each holding their cup of tea, sipping on it and chatting among themselves.
In Egypt, tea is the second cheapest drink after water, justifying its popularity and cultural significance.
They also attributed the consumption of tea to alcohol not being regularly consumed in Egypt, changing the concept of happy hour among Egyptians. Instead of being spent at a bar sipping beers, they go to a nearby cafe, drink tea, smoke hookah, and watch a match or play backgammon.
