History Main / AsiansLoveTea

%%Examples on this page have been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!

%%

'''Note that it is not enough to be an Asian character who drinks tea, especially if the majority of the cast is Asian. The work has to link the two traits,''' such as by emphasizing its importance in traditions, having most if not all Asian characters be avid tea-drinkers, or by contrasting them against the tea-drinking habits (or lack thereof) of non-Asians.

* ''VideoGame/Pokemon'': Much like how their [[AmbiguouslyRelated possible relatives]] Sinistea and Polteageist represent the BritsLoveTea trope, Poltchageist and Sinistcha represent this trope. They're matcha tea-inspired Pokémon who originate from a rural Japan-based region, and their designs include a number of references to the aspects of a Japanese tea ceremony.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfTianDing'', a game set in 19th-Century Taiwan, have your titular protagonist drinking tea to restore health. There are even tea-stations which could restore your life to maximum, a few which were conspicuously placed [[SuspiciousVideogameGenerosity right before boss fights]].

* Literature/JudgeDee downs ''gallons'' of tea in the course of his cases. In fact he hits the teapot the way Sam Spade hits the bottle. This being ImperialChina [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_tea_culture everybody else is equally addicted]] (except for his faithful Lieutenants Ma Joon and Chiao Tai who prefer 'the amber liquid', i.e. wine). A cuppa is even offered to witnesses and criminals in court, to revive them after a round of beating or being overpowered by emotion.
** In ''Poets and Murders'' the Judge goes to the tea cozy in his room for a cuppa only to find the pot empty. He then goes off on a round of visits expecting his hosts to offer him a cup of tea but they don't. By the time the Judge reaches his colleague Magistrate Lo's office he is desperate and rapidly downs two cups in quick succession.

* ''Series/{{Bridgerton}}'' is set in RegencyEngland and [[BritsLoveTea features much tea-drinking]]. In season two, Indian-born Kate arrives in London and expresses distaste for flavorless British tea compared to Indian chai and insists that she makes her tea herself.

In RealLife, tea drinking remains an integral part of culture and routine in many parts of Asia to this day, with many variations throughout individual countries and across the continent, though some countries are actually more partial to coffee.

* ''Literature/JudgeDee'': The titular character downs ''gallons'' of tea in the course of his cases. This being ImperialChina [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_tea_culture everybody else is equally addicted]] (except for his faithful Lieutenants Ma Joon and Chiao Tai who prefer 'the amber liquid', i.e. wine). A cup of tea is even offered to witnesses and criminals in court, to revive them after a round of beating or being overpowered by emotion.

* Being Chinese, the characters of ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'' drink tea. Being able to prepare and pour tea properly is part of the matchmaker's test for Mulan early on in the film to see if she can be a good wife. Mulan's father also drinks a medicinal blend for an unspecified condition.

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/HetaliaAxisPowers https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hetalia_tea.png]]]]

A {{stereotype}}. In fiction, Asian characters -- especially ''East'' Asian characters, though this trope is about all Asian characters -- are second only to [[BritsLoveTea the British]] when it comes to downing cups of warm, well-made tea. The reason is simple: tea was invented in China over five thousand years ago and quickly spread to its neighbors, then all around the world. As such, the East Asian love for tea is associated with tradition and the old ways.

* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'': Brought up in a condescending manner when Domon Kasshu, the Gundam Fighter for Neo-Japan, arrives in London to challenge Gentle Chapman, Neo-England's Fighter. Chapman brings Domon to his home and has his wife Manon [[BritsLoveTea pour them some tea]]. Domon is quietly if visibly angry over what he sees as a waste of time, but Manon suggests that Domon is put off because he would have preferred to have ''green'' tea. At this point, [[HotBlooded Domon]] slams his fist on the table, tells Chapman to DispenseWithThePleasantries, and demands a fight.

In RealLife, tea-drinking remains an integral part of culture and routine in many parts of Asia to this day, with many variations throughout individual countries and across the continent, though some countries are actually more partial to coffee.

* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'': Brought up in a condescending manner when Domon Kasshu, the Gundam Fighter for Neo-Japan, arrives in London to challenge Gentle Chapman, Neo-England's Fighter. Chapman brings Domon to his home and has his wife Manon [[BritsLoveTea pour them some tea]]. Domon is quietly if visibly angry over what he sees as a waste of time, but Manon suggests that Domon is put off because he would have preferred to have ''green'' tea. At this point, [[HotBlooded Domon]] slams his fist on the table, tells Chapman to DispenseWithThePleasantries and demands a fight.
* ''Anime/MyHime'': Shizuru tries to present herself as a proper Kyoto lady, complete with Kyoto-ben dialect. Prior to the reveal of her as a [=HiME=], she is almost never seen without a cup of tea in her hands, and is even shown performing a traditional tea ceremony for a group of investors in an early episode.

* ''ComicBook/GenerationX'': Jubilee and Monet go out for a trip together in New York city. Jubilee, who is Chinese-American, goes out of her way to introduce Monet to Bubble Tea, telling her it's going to be popular in coffee shops like Starbucks in the very near future. This was in the early 2000s.

* ''Fanfic/ElementaryMyDearNatsuki'': Shizuru Viola incorporates elements of both her ''Anime/MyHime'' and ''Anime/MyOtome'' characterizations. In story she is half-Japanese and half-Italian (justifying her Viola surname). She practices tea ceremony and wears kimono regularly as a way of acknowledging her Asian heritage.

* In ''Literature/TheBabysittersClub'', Claudia's grandmother Mimi is a native of Japan, and she frequently shares cups of her "special tea" with Claudia, her sister Janine, and their motherless neighbor Mary Anne. It's indicated to be tea of Japanese origin, and is only served in Japanese cups with no handles.

* ''Series/PlainLove'' revolves around a family of tea farmers in 1940s China, with various scenes in multiple episodes having the main characters emphasizing on the importance of tea in Chinese culture and producing the best tea in the country. In the third installment of the series, ''Plain Love III'', the main characters start a wine-producing industry instead, but the importance of tea in their culture is still a frequently-mentioned plot point.

* In ''VideoGame/NineMonkeysOfShaolin'', you play as a fisherman-turned-Shaolin monk, and the first rule imposed by the monks is that you "will not engage in vice like wine and women", so you give up drinking liquor and starts drinking tea instead. During gameplay you can actually drink tea to restore health, with the rare red tea capable of curing poison and stopping bleeding.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': The Fire Nation is a FantasyCounterpartCulture that mixes UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan with Southeast Asian aesthetics, but Zuko's [[CoolUncle uncle Iroh]] is [[UnexplainedAccent the only member of their royal family with a Japanese accent]].[[note]](thanks largely due to his original voice actor, the esteemed Creator/{{Mako}}, actually being being Japanese)[[/note]] In keeping with his wise old mentor role, he has an impressive love of tea, to the point of opening a tea shop whilst he and his nephew are undercover in the Earth Kingdom. In Iroh's own words:

* The titular character of ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', being Japanese, drinks green tea every chance he gets, despite living in an AfterTheEnd society. In the Adult Swim revival he also performs a tea ceremony while trying to regain his lost sword.

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': In "Chinese Fake-Out," the China challenge of ''World Tour'', Sierra meets a old Chinese lady who listens to her vent about her love for Cody. The lady helps Sierra out by giving her some herbal tea, which she claims works as a LovePotion.

[[AC:Anime & Manga]]

[[AC:Comic Books]]

[[AC:Fan Works]]

[[AC:Films -- Animated]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]

[[AC:Theatre]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Visual Novels]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

* Being Chinese, the characters of ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'' drink tea. Being able to prepare and pour tea properly is part of the matchmaker's test for Mulan early on in the film to see if she can be a good wife.

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': All the East Asian characters (even those who only ''look'' Asian as a result of their mutation or magical transformation) love their tea. Team Kimba now has a weekly tea party every Sunday, where they relax, drink tea, and just chat about stuff. It seems to be proving quite therapeutic, which isn't terribly surprising considering the wringers they all regularly get put through.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': The Fire Nation is a FantasyCounterpartCulture that mixes UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan with Southeast Asian aesthetics, but Zuko's [[CoolUncle uncle Iroh]] is [[UnexplainedAccent the only member of their royal family with a Japanese accent]][[note]](thanks largely due to his original voice actor, the esteemed Creator/{{Mako}}, actually being being Japanese)[[/note]]. In keeping with his wise old mentor role, he has an impressive love of tea, to the point of opening a tea shop whilst he and his nephew are undercover in the Earth Kingdom. In Iroh's own words:

* In ''VideoGame/NineMonkeysOfShaolin'', you play as a fisherman-turned-Shaolin monk, and the first rule imposed by the monks is that you "will not engage in vice like wine and women", so you give up drinking liquor and starts drinking tea instead. During gameplay you can actually drink tea to restore health, with the rare red tea capable of curing poison and stopping bleeding.

Expect to see wise old MagicalAsian mentors and other traditional characters being very picky about their tea brewing temperatures, tea as the TrademarkFavoriteDrink of the [[TokenMinority Token Asian]] or members of Asian diasporas, references to elaborate and intricate tea ceremonies, and Asian tourists scoffing at coffee and complaining that Western tea tastes like dishwater.

* The titular character of ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', being Japanese, drinks green tea every chance he gets (despite living in an AfterTheEnd society) In the Adult Swim revival he also performs a tea ceremony while trying to regain his lost sword.

----
Indexes: AsianIndex, NationalStereotypes, AWholeLatteTropes, BeverageTropes, FoodAsCharacterization