10 interesting facts about tea

On December 15, tea celebrates its festival. A drink that played a huge role in international trade, medicine, and even the Industrial Revolution. Learn the most interesting facts about tea.

accidentally tea

According to legend, tea was discovered by the Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BC. When he was enjoying the boiling water, the wind flicked several tea leaves from the tree that had fallen into his cup. This is how the world’s first tea drink was made.

We don’t know if this is true, but we do know that the invention of black tea was also a coincidence. During shipment from China to England, the cargo of green tea got wet and began to ferment, changing the color and aroma of the leaves. Since the goods were too expensive to dispose of, it was decided to dry the leaves and prepare them in such a spoiled form. When the infusion turned out to taste good, the process was started under controlled conditions.

How to steal a secret recipe?

Initially, the Chinese mainly cultivated tea. The English East India Company wanted to break this tradition, which began in the mid-19th century with the cultivation of tea in India, and then belonging to Great Britain. However, a drink made from these crops was not popular.

The English decided to resort to deception. They sent the botanist, Robert Fortune, to China, who, disguised as a Chinese peasant, stole the tea plants and took them to India. The botanist managed to smuggle as many as 13,000. Cuttings – most of them were wasted by incompetent farmers.

Tea as a tool of protest

In the eighteenth century, there was an event called the Boston Tea Party. A whole quantity of tea was thrown into the water as a sign of protest against British tax policy. Moments later, in the spirit of Edenton solidarity, a group of women led by Penelope Parker organized an Edenton tea party and read a letter to the British government declaring that American women had no intention of buying tea. It was the first political act of a woman.

Million dollars for a kilogram of tea

This is how much the famous and legendary Da Hong Pao tea costs. According to legends, the mother of one of the rulers of the Ming dynasty helped to overcome a serious illness. In gratitude, the ruler surrounded the bushes from which the healing leaves came with a red cloth. Even today, the original leaves of this bush reach amazing prices in world markets.

Valuable or priceless gift?

It was this can of Da Hong Pao tea that the President of the United States, Richard Nixon, received from Mao Zedong during his visit to China in 1972. In the atmosphere of tense political relations, the American president was offended by such a meager gift – the can contains only 50 grams of tea! Fortunately, the situation subsided when Nixon discovered the value of this small package.

drug for radiation sickness

The explosion of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed many people, but it also affected the people living in the surrounding areas. Studies have shown that people who have been exposed to ionizing radiation have shown significant improvement after being in the tea plantation area for a long time and drinking large amounts of green tea.

Healthy hair and healthy teeth

Speaking about the healing properties of tea, it is worth remembering that its infusion can be used in the spa in your home. A cold cup of black tea is great for nourishing dark hair – use it as a rinse after washing your head. On the other hand, black and green tea prevent tooth decay and plaque formation and prevent bacterial growth.

stimulating strength

Although tea contains almost half the amount of caffeine found in coffee, it has a stimulating effect on the body. There is even a theory that the popularization of these two drinks made the Industrial Revolution a success. Thanks to them, employees can start and finish work in the same hours, regardless of their biological clocks. They can also spend more time in factories.

Who drinks the most tea?

No, it is not British. On average, a resident of the British Isles consumes 2.79 kg of tea per year. An annual increase in the demand for tea was recorded among Mauritanians, Irish and Moroccans. Turkey is the undisputed leader in this regard. The average citizen in this country consumes up to 7.5 kg of tea per year! In this ranking, Poland ranks 32. Our compatriots need only 0.87 kg of leaves per year. It doesn’t change the fact that tea is the most consumed beverage in the world right after water.

Sweet or sour?

Do you like tea with sugar or any other addition to desserts? It turns out that only 30% of people around the world sweeten their tea!