Tea has been around for centuries and is the most consumed drink around the world after water. It has many health benefits and is a significant part of cultures all around the world. There are so many varieties of tea and drinkable herbs. We love tea and herbs, and crafted Healthy Hooch Kombucha by carefully selecting the best organic teas and local ingredients, for optimal health and flavour!
1. All “Tea” Comes From the Same Plant
Traditional “tea” is black, green, white, or oolong tea, and it all comes from the plant Camellia Sinensis. It’s the harvesting process and the oxidation level that determines the characteristics of being either black, white, green or oolong tea. There are also hundreds of different variations with unique flavours and characteristics.
2. All Other Teas Aren’t Technically Tea
Herbal teas (peppermint, rooibos, lemongrass) are actually tisanes made with infusions of botanicals and herbs. They are caffeine-free, rich in antioxidants and can have health benefits or medicinal properties.
3. Tea Has Been Studied Scientifically
Tea has been used in medicine for centuries because of the belief that it has medicinal and health benefiting properties. The health benefits of tea have only been under scientific investigation for the past 40 years, but qualitative and anecdotal studies date back hundreds of years.
4. Tea Has More Caffeine Than Coffee
Tea has more caffeine-based on weight than coffee. Tea leaves have 3.5%, while coffee beans have 1.1% – 2.2%, but you typically use more coffee beans when making coffee than tea leaves. So your cup of coffee will still have more caffeine than your cup of tea. You would have to drink about 2 cups of black tea to equal one cup of coffee.
5. Tea is the Most Consumed Drink After Water
Two hundred seventy-three billion litres of tea was consumed in 2018 and expected to reach 279 billion by 2021. China, Turkey, Ireland and the United Kingdom are among the world’s top tea consumers.
6. Iced Tea Was Invented in 1904
Richard Blechynden created iced tea during a heatwave at the St-Louis world fair in 1904. He was sampling tea at a fair booth, but his customers didn’t want the hot beverage in the heat, so he added ice and iced tea was born.
7. Tea Is Incredibly Good For You
Not only is tea incredibly hydrating, but it also contains polyphenols which have antioxidant, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Tea may be able to help lower cholesterol, boost heart health, reduce stress & anxiety, lower blood pressure and improve gut health. Many studies have proven the health benefits of tea, so it’s not only functional; it tastes great too.
8. Teabags Weren’t Invented Until the 20th Century
Tea bags were invented in the early 20th century. There is some debate on who created the teabag first. There was a patent filed in 1903 by two American Women for a “Tea Leaf Holder.” Thomas Sullivan, who is also accredited as the inventor of tea bags, was a tea merchant in New York. He accidentally created a teabag when he sent out samples of tea in silk bags to his customers. They thought they were supposed to put the whole bag into the pot, not empty its contents.
9. Tea Revenue World Wide is Nearly a Billion Dollars
The tea industry revenue for 2020 is at 199,382.9 million dollars worldwide and is expected to keep growing annually by 9.8% between now and 2025.
10. Teas Have Different Brewing Times
There is a lot of debate about how to make the perfect cup of tea. The temperature of the water and the brewing time play a role in flavour development and health benefits. It’s recommended to steep most tea between 2 – 5 minutes before drinking. A bit of lemon in your cuppa can also be a great addition to your brew for extra benefits and flavour!
How do you take your tea?
Hot, cold, iced, fermented, one lump or two?
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_sinensishttp://teapedia.org/en/Tisane
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855614/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-in-tea-vs-coffee#caffeine-content
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/940102/global-tea-consumption/#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20global%20consumption%20of,297%20billion%20liters%20by%202021.&text=Tea%20is%20the%20second%20most,in%20the%20world%2C%20after%20water.
- https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Tea
- https://www.japsonline.com/admin/php/uploads/20_pdf.pdf
- https://patents.google.com/patent/US723287
- https://www.statista.com/outlook/30020000/100/tea/worldwide
- http://blog.davidstea.com/en/how-long-should-i-let-my-tea-steep/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92768/
- https://www.teasource.com/blogs/beyond-the-leaf/the-history-of-iced-tea#:~:text=Richard%20Belchynden%2C%20an%20American%20merchant,the%20steeped%20tea%20and%20voila!
- https://theconversation.com/what-science-says-about-getting-the-most-out-of-your-tea-75767
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