Interesting facts about tea

Tea can be called the most consumed drink in the world, second only to water in popularity. There are a large number of tea varieties, each of which has its own characteristics and advantages. Which tea to prefer - black, green or red, everyone decides for himself, based on individual preferences.

Homeland of tea and other cognitive facts

The tradition of organizing tea-drinking ceremonies originated in the East. The Chinese were the first to taste tea and immediately appreciated its excellent taste. Although there is still an opinion that tea is of Indian origin, there is a mass of evidence that refutes this theory. Scholars say that Chinese tea history goes back at least three millennia.

Initially, tea was used as a medicine. It began to be actively used during the reign of the Chinese emperor Tang and his successors. Soon tea began to be drunk en masse. The drink is appreciated for:

• Excellent taste.
• The ability to tone up, energize.
• Useful properties.

If you drink tea every day, do not overdo it with the dosage, in this case it will bring exceptional benefits to the body.

More than 3 million tons of raw tea are produced in the world annually. And most of it is mined on the territory of China, in second place is India, in third - Kenya.

Until the second half of the nineteenth century, tea was produced only in China.

The most popular variety is black, it is interesting that the Chinese practically do not use it. They prefer green varieties.

The people of India, despite the fact that a lot of tea is produced there, prefer coffee.

The Chinese drink tea hot without added sugar. They believe that additives change the taste of the drink. The Japanese adopted from the Chinese people all the traditions of the classical tea-drinking ceremony, which became a true art.

In 100 gr. black tea has only 3-5 calories (provided there are no additives), in green tea - one. The honey increases the calorie content of the drink to the maximum.

Tea, in addition to having a rich taste, also perfectly quenches thirst. This is the world's oldest drink. It has health benefits. It maintains normal blood glucose levels, reduces the effects of stress.

In our country, they learned about tea in the 16th century, in the 17th century it was first brought from China. 98% of Russians drink tea. It is more popular only in China, India and Turkey.

Ceylon tea gained great popularity, although there were originally coffee plantations in Sri Lanka. After they died from the fungus, the production of tea raw materials began.

The collection and sorting of leaves is done manually. This is a rather difficult and monotonous job. To prepare 1 kg of tea, you need to collect 4 kg of leaves.

Both the green and black varieties are obtained from the foliage of the same bush, but using different methods. To fix the green, steam is used, the temperature of which is 170-180 degrees. The oxidation process lasts a maximum of two days, then the heating is stopped. Black tea is fully fermented. The process takes 2 to 4 weeks.

Extract tea means instant tea. To prepare it, you do not need to resort to brewing.

Long before the 19th century, solid tea blocks were used as currency. For the manufacture of briquettes, waste of tea production was used, so the drink was not of very high quality.

According to rough estimates, there are about 1500 types of tea. All of these varieties are classified into 6 main categories. Each group has its own characteristics of production and use. The most popular varieties are black and green. There are also white, yellow and red varieties. Post-fermented teas are classified into a separate category.

Tea is a multifaceted and controversial drink, even one variety can have taste differences. This moment depends on many factors - temperature, water source, cooking period.

Residents of China are advised to use fresh water from natural reservoirs for brewing. Taking into account modern ecology, it is better to use pure spring liquid.

King Louis XIV century was considered the main admirer of the tea drink in Europe. He learned that the inhabitants of China protected themselves with tea from various ailments. This drink helped the king fight gout.

The Swiss were the first to drink iced tea, it is an excellent thirst quencher and is available in bottles.

China is the only producer of white, yellow, red and post-fermented teas.

Tea Day is celebrated around the world on December 15th.

Today you can buy tea in any store, the assortment on sale is striking in its variety. Some people prefer the classic drink, while others like varieties with additives.