The ART of Tea

    Did you know that Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water? What mental images come to your mind when you think of tea?  I envision beautifully dressed Victorian ladies in a luxurious tearoom casually sharing the latest fashion news.  In movies, you may have seen a geisha serving guests sitting cross legged on plump pillows inside a modest Chinese home. Then there is the image in history books of pounds of tea being thrown off British sailing ships during the American Revolution.

Here are some fun facts about Tea:

    Scholars believe that tea originated in southwest China during the Shang dynasty as a medicinal drink.   It became widely popular during the Tang dynasty, when it was produced as tea bricks and often used as currency. That made it a target for pirates; the most famous of which was Black Bart, who is said to have preferred Tea to Rum.

    Drinking tea became popular in Britain through the marriage of King Charles II in 1662 to the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza, who brought the tea drinking habit to court. British drinkers began adding sugar and milk to tea, a practice that was not done in China.  

    Tea consumption sharply decreased in America during and after the Revolution, when many Americans switched from drinking tea to drinking coffee, considering tea drinking to be unpatriotic.  It was in 1993 that the American specialty tea market grew thru the efforts of specialty tea houses and retailers.  

    Globally, over 3 million tons of tea is produced every year.  United Kingdom consumes 165 million cups of tea daily; yet it is 3^rd in the annual consumption of tea per capita. Ireland is 2^nd, and Turkey is 1^st!

    Traditional English Afternoon Tea, often called Low Tea, is typically served from 3 pm to 6 pm. Any later and it becomes known as High tea, upon which more substantial food should be offered.  But these terms originally referred to the height of the table it was served on.

    In 1901, two women name Roberta Lawson and Mary McLaren both submitted a patent for an invention which resembled the modern Tea bag. This contradicts claims it was invented accidentally by Thomas Sullivan in 1908 to transport tea samples and his customers promptly added them straight to the pot instead of emptying the contents.

    If your tea bag feels ‘silky’, it probably has plastic in it.  The tea companies that use biodegradable natural bags, without any plastic, are Bigelow, Celestial, Luzianne, and Stash.

    Darjeeling tea is more expensive because it’s only grown in a 70 square mile area at the foot of the Himalayas. Because of this, it is referred to as the ‘Champagne of teas’.

    The most expensive teapot in the world was designed and commissioned by Mr. Sethia (Newby Teas of London) and made by the Milanese jeweler, Scavia. Officially certified by the Guinness Book of Records, “The Egoist” is the most valuable teapot in the world at $3 million dollars.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for: healthy recipes, tips on nutrition and success, and notices of upcoming health webinars.