Tea is amongst the healthiest beverages in the world – this fact is corroborated by another – it is the second most consumed liquid, second only to water! Here are some ‘deliciously’ exciting facts about tea that all tea lovers (or not) will find interesting and would add to your knowledge of this palette-tingling beverage.

1.   Derived From?

All types of tea (black, green, oolong, white, and pu-erh) are from the same plant – Camellia Sinensis, which is an evergreen plant found in Asia but is now grown all over the world.

2.   Discovered When and Where?

This delightful beverage was first discovered way back in 2737BC, by Emperor Shen Nung, China. He initially used it as an antidote to poisonous plants and herbs, and the leaves were chewed rather than drunk as the tea we know today. According to the folk tales of the land, some leaves from the tea bush flew into the water that the helpers of Emperor Nung were boiling to purify for him to drink. They served this ‘accidental brew’ to the Emperor, who loved it, and thus tea was born. Interestingly also, Emperor Nung was given the title of Shennong or Divine Farmer, given his interest and knowledge of Chinese herbal medicine and farming. He was also known as Yan Di or Emperor of Fire, and so finally, the full title bestowed on him was Yandi Shennongshi.

3.   Is it Tea or Tisane?

When you hear ‘tea’ names such as peppermint, lemon verbena, chamomile, rose, lavender, and others with herbs, nuts, berries, flowers, leaves, and roots – these herbal drinks would be known as tisanes. Flavorful infusions of tea leaves with herbs and spices that suit your taste buds, would be a tisane. Adding cardamom and or ginger to your morning tea would make it a tisane.

4.   Pricey Tea?

Well, the humble and ubiquitous tea sometimes comes with a hefty price tag too. Da-Hong Pao – yes, this is the name of the world’s most expensive tea. It costs a whopping $1.2million per kilogram, and can only be got from three bushes that grow in the Wuyi mountains, in the Fujian province in China.

5.   First Taste of Iced Tea by Americans?

The 1904 World’s Fair at St. Louis is historical, because it is here that Americans tasted iced tea for the first time. Proud of the tea grown on his farms, Richard Blechynden wanted everyone to taste the hot piping tea that he prepared from the leaves. However, owing to the heatwave that year, people were uninterested in trying the steaming beverage. He was determined to get people to try his tea, and so ended up adding ice to the cooled liquid, and voila – he made iced tea and introduced Americans to this wonderfully refreshing beverage.

6.   Healthy teeth?

Yes, believe it – tea is packed full of antioxidants that maintain the overall health of the body, including the teeth. The mouth contains harmful bacteria that are the cause of mouth disease, cavities, and plaque build-up. The antioxidants possess anti-inflammatory properties and also fight these bad bacteria, thus keeping the teeth and gums healthy.

7.   Art of ‘Reading’ Tea Leaves?

Tasseography – this is the name of the art of tea leave reading. It is also referred to as Tasseomancy, and is the ‘art’ of identifying and interpreting symbols, shapes, and configurations that appear in tea leaves left in a cup or pot, post brewing. Practitioners of this art believe that the ‘reading’ of tea leaves, predicts the future, reveals the ‘fate’ and challenges of the person and can help with advice on how to deal with these obstacles. The shape, color, placement, and density of the ‘wet’ leaves are ‘read’ to uncover the ‘mystery-laden’ messages.

8.   Unhealthy Bug Sprays?

If bug sprays annoy you as much as the bugs themselves, and if you are an environmentally-conscious person, you are probably wondering how to get rid of both bugs and the chemical-laden sprays. Slightly damp tea leaves left in small containers around the house can prove to be highly effective in keeping your home bug and mosquito free. Try it!

9.   Sunburnt?

When the sun burns brightly – especially between 10 am and 4 pm – it is best to avoid the harsh UV rays. Experts recommend the use of sunscreen before stepping out, and reapplying it every two hours if you are out in the sun. Despite this knowledge, there are times when one forgets to apply sunscreen, and you could end up with a nasty sunburn. Chill a used tea bag and apply it to the sunburned areas. The tannins in tea help to relieve the redness and inflammation.

10. Heavyweight?

Ahmed Mohamed Saleh Baeshen & Co., the owner of Rabea Tea in Saudi Arabia, created the world’s largest tea bag in 2014, and the record still stands in the Guinness Book of World Records! The tea bag contained a little more than 230kgs of tea and was 9.8 feet in width and 13 feet in height. It could make more than 100,000 cups of tea!

With regard to tea, there are two more world records – the largest cup, which is 10 feet in height and 8 feet wide, and the most cups of tea made in one hour by 12 persons – a total of 1848 cups of tea! These records remain unbroken as of now.

An additional piece of tea trivia: High tea came about during the Victorian Era (the reign of Queen Victoria from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901) – a combination of afternoon tea with an evening meal.

Your Cup of Tea

Drink it as you prefer whether it is darjeeling tea or assam tea and drink the one you prefer – there is a tea to delight all tastes. Even if you are not a tea lover, there will surely be one type out there that will become ‘your cup of tea’! Drink up!