The Heart of Senegalese Culture
“Tea ... is a religion of the art of life.”-Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea (Okakura, 1956)
Around the world, tea is an integral part of culture. It is often associated with socialization and relaxation, and it is no different in Senegal. I spent four months there on a study abroad program, and I find myself craving a shot-sized glass of tea known as attaya every afternoon.
In general, attaya is served after meals in a social setting. After lunch or dinner, one person of the family begins the lengthy process of making tea. There are usually three rounds, so it is a good way to waste away an afternoon or evening. Dinner is generally served late, so the first time my host brother made attaya for me at 11 pm, I was practically awake the entire night. That night, I only had the first round, but most people will drink three.
Preparation:
Attaya is made using Chinese green tea leaves, which are put into the teapot along with mint leaves and then boiled. Sugar is added to the pot, and then tea is poured into a small tea glass called a kas. The foam is achieved by pouring the tea back and forth within these glasses as high as possible.
Round One:
The first round is usually more on the bitter side. My Wolof teacher told me that this round is bitter like death. After this round is served, more water, mint, and sugar are added to the pot.
Round Two:
The second round is sweeter, and is my personal favorite. This round is said to be gentle like life. Again, more water, mint, and sugar are added for the next round.
Round Three:
The last round is incredibly sweet, almost too sweet for me, which is really saying something. This round is said to be sweet like love.
If you want to try to prepare it yourself, which I highly recommend, click here for more detailed instructions.
Why Drink?
Socialization:
It is most commonly made by males, but either gender prepare it. Drinking tea is something to experience with other people. It is an activity that has hedonic value (Babin, 2016, p. 29). The taste and caffeine are a form of immediate gratification, and so is spending time with family and friends. Whenever my host family had visitors, one of my brothers was sure to prepare tea for them. It is not limited to within the home, but on the streets as well. The concept of teranga, which is a Wolof word that loosely translates to hospitality, is extremely important in Senegal. Often when I visited the tailor or different vendors, they would offer me tea and I would stay and chat for a few minutes.
I made and strengthened my connections in Senegal over tea, and it is truly an integral part of their culture. It is seen as something truly Senegalese. The self-congruency theory proposes that much of consumer behavior can be explained by the congruence of a consumer's self-concept with the image of the typical users of a focal product (Babin, 2016, p. 126). They drink tea because since childhood it has been associated with family, friendship, and hospitality. If they value these things, they know how to prepare attaya.
Health Benefits:
Even if you never visit Senegal, you should drink attaya because of the various health benefits from green tea such as a stronger immune system and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (NA, 2015). Served plain, green tea contains zero calories and if you are concerned about your sugar intake it might be best to cut down the sugar in the preparation. See below for more reasons to drink green tea:
STAY HEALTHY, DRINK ATTAYA
Sources:
Babin, B., & Harris,
E. (2016). CB 7 (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Okakura, K. (1956). The book of tea. Rutland, VT: C.E. Tuttle Co.
The Health Benefits of Gunpowder Green Tea. (2015, April 30). Retrieved February 08, 2017, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/288124-the-health-benefits-of-gunpowder-green-tea/
Sources for Images:
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I clicked on this blog because I love tea, and had the wonderful surprise of learning about a different culture as well. I would have never associated tea with self-concept, but you description is very clear - tea is strongly associated with personal values like friendship and family. Tea is not that cultural in the U.S. and I actually hated it for a while. It was actually Group Influence that changed my mind (Babin & Harris, 2016, p.157). A group of friends at school absolutely could not believe that I didn't like tea and badgered me all day about different kinds to try, how to make it, etc. Well, it worked, and I love tea now!
ReplyDeleteI thought of that story because it is shows how different the culture of tea is here and in Senegal. Personally, while the three-round tea style of Senegal sounds incredible, I probably would not make it myself, because as a college student, I have no time. If I consider it in the Total Value Equation, I value my time more, leaving me with a negative value for this experience (Babin & Harris, 2016, p.28). Maybe someday!