Tea is the second most popular drink in the world after water. It has a long and exciting history, and we have collected 20 interesting facts about this drink that you may have never heard. Read and be surprised.
More than 1,500 unique teas exist today.
Although we recently discussed the pros and cons of “basic” tea types, many more exist. The taste of tea, like wine, depends on where it grows. And the teas you buy most often consist of a mixture of different varieties.
Previously, all tea was green.
Until the middle of the XVII century, all Chinese tea was green. As foreign trade has developed, Chinese manufacturers have found that they can preserve tea leaves through fermentation. The resulting black tea retained its taste and aroma longer than the more delicate green teas and for long trips to other countries.
Not all the tea that you drink
Herbal or rosehip tea beverages, including mint tea, are examples of unnatural teas. They are called tisanes. Remember, tea should be from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Well, what unites all other drinks with tea is that you pour it into a cup, and it’s hot.
15 thousand cups of tea every second in the world
On average, 3.7 billion cups are drunk in the world per day!
Tea has more caffeine than coffee.
But not everything is so simple. The fact is that there is more of it in the net weight of tea leaves, but for full and proper brewing, you use much less tea than coffee in percentage terms. A cup of black coffee has between 100 and 120 milligrams of caffeine, while a cup of black tea has only 40 to 70 milligrams.
Social status can increase by milk in tea.
Think about the sequence in which your friends and family put the milk in the tea. If they do it initially, their ancestors likely came from lower social strata. Previously, poor-quality porcelain cups cracked when poured hot tea into them, so during tea drinking, they tried to pour milk first so that the cups remained intact. But when thinner, more substantial (and more expensive) porcelain appeared, it was no longer necessary, so pouring milk last became a way to show that you have the best porcelain on your table. And this sequence does not affect the taste of tea in any way.
Tea was so expensive that kept it in chests under lock and key
In fact, in small bins. Tea, imported to Europe at the end of the XVII century, was an insanely valuable commodity. They were in elegant caskets with reliable locks, then called “tea boxes,” and the keys on chains at heart. Usually, there were two or more compartments in these drawers to store several varieties of tea and sugar at once.
Tea was forged and “diluted” with sheep manure.
Researchers say that more tea was illegal than legal at the end of the XVIII century. Smugglers mixed tea leaves with other plants, increasing their supplies and profits. But leaves were not always used. Branches and sawdust often fell into tea bags, and even a mixture of ash leaves cooked together with sheep manure (for color) was found.
Earl Grey Tea after the real Earl Grey
Earl Charles Grey was born in 1764. According to his biography, he received a gift of tea flavored with bergamot oil. He liked this mixture so much that he asked British tea merchants to recreate its taste.
Darjeeling – champagne in the world of tea
Anyone who sells Darjeeling tea must first obtain a license from the Tea Council of India. Specifically, this provision of the Tea Act of 1953 in 2000 is because this kind of tea grows only in one region. According to the law, any tea labeled Darjeeling without a guarantee of its quality and proper certification should not be exported from the country.
Tea at auctions
The London Tea Auction has for 300 years. According to the BBC, “by the 1950s, bought a third of all tea in the world at auctions.” They about once sold a quarter and tea peculiar scheme – the bidding did not last until the last bid, but while the candle was burning. As soon as the fuse burned out, the bidding ended, and the winner was the one who had the last time to name the price.
There is a British standard for the perfect cup of tea.
The British Tea Producers Association, the Tea Trade Committee, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food created tea standards known as BS 6008 in 1980. Here’s what you need to match them: a porcelain teapot; for every 100 ml of water, there should be at least two grams of tea, the temperature when serving cannot exceed 85 degrees but should be above 60 degrees for “optimal taste and sensations.”
A monk brought tea to Japan.
Denge Daishi – this Buddhist monk is credited with delivering Chinese tea seeds to Japan. To keep their spirits up throughout extended periods of meditation, Japanese monks began drinking tea as part of daily life. By the time the 1300s rolled around in Japan, tea was a staple of everyday life.
I iced tea by accident.
Americans first tasted iced tea at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. A tea merchant who participated in the exhibition planned to distribute free hot tea samples to visitors. When the heat came, no one wanted to look in the direction of a hot drink. To avoid burnout, he figured out throwing a lot of ice into the brewed tea. Customers lined up to try this original invention. Today, Americans drink almost 50 billion glasses of iced tea every year, more than 80% of all tea consumed in the United States.
Tea bags are a mistake.
The United States of America witnessed the unintentional birth of tea bags. A New York tea dealer 1908 packed samples of his wares in silk bags and distributed them to city eateries. After a while, he discovered that restaurants were brewing his tea right in these bags to save time. This method of brewing immediately caught on.
Tea is more expensive than gold.
Da Hong Pao black tea production is a very long process, almost manually. In addition, the petals of this plant are pretty rare, and there are only six bushes of this variety left in the world. They are under the protection of the Chinese government and insured for huge sums. In 1996, at a tea auction in Beijing, 1kg of this type of tea was sold for $ 1,250,000, which is more expensive than gold.
Tea coating.
Now tea grows in 52 countries worldwide; China’s oldest tree is 3200 years old.
Tea = currency
In some countries until the beginning of the XX century, tea, particularly Pu-erh, was used as a currency. This kind of tea is in various forms, and each is given its name, for example, disc, melon, brick, and mushroom. Disks were something utilized frequently throughout the countries of Asia, particularly China, Mongolia, and Tibet.
Tea divination
Tasseography is the practice of deducing meaning from the tea leaves word originated in France. Tasse – means a cup. This kind of esotericism is also common in fortune-telling on coffee grounds, with traces of wine in a glass.
Do monkeys know how to collect tea?
At least, that’s what the legend says. In ancient China, monkeys collected tea leaves, but today this is being questioned. Monkeys, indeed, are used to harvest other crops, for example, coconuts, but it is unlikely that they will be able to collect tea because this is a thorough job that requires knowledge and care. Nevertheless, in some places, you can still buy tea marked “collected by a monkey” – a great marketing ploy
