| Tea is drunk in more countries than any other | | | | leaves are used in tea bags. Each tea company has |
| beverage. It is one of the most popular drinks today. | | | | tea tasters who select only specific teas.Tea has a |
| Little wonder it is known as "the cup that | | | | colorful history. It was supposed to have been |
| cheers."The yearly worldwide production of dried tea | | | | discovered by Emperor Shennong of China in about |
| leaves is over 2.6 billion kilograms. India is one of the | | | | 2737 B.C. It finds its mention in Chinese around 350 |
| leading tea producers offering 720 million kilograms | | | | A.D. In Japan, tea drinking was elevated to a |
| each year. Other countries that produce tea are | | | | full-fledged ceremony by 600 A.D. In the 1600s, it |
| Kenya, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. China is a major | | | | was imported into Europe from China by the Dutch. |
| producer of green tea. The main types of tea | | | | By 1657, it was being sold in English coffee houses. |
| available today are black, white, green, and oolong. | | | | 1773 was the year of the famous Boston Tea |
| The only difference between them is the way they | | | | Party.Today tea is a popular beverage all over the |
| are made.The tea tree is an evergreen plant with | | | | world. The country importing the most tea is the UK, |
| small, white, sweet-smelling flowers. Grown on hill | | | | importing a total of about 180 million kilograms per |
| slopes on tea estates, its botanical name is "Camellia | | | | year. It has been calculated that the British drink 3.2 |
| sinensis." In about four to five years the tea tree | | | | kilograms of tea per person every year. Australians |
| produces a ?flush? or a growth of new shoots with | | | | and New Zealanders are also great tea drinkers and |
| many leaves and a bud, which are picked by hand. | | | | each person would, on an average, be drinking about |
| Approximately 18 kilograms of tea leaves can be | | | | 1.4 kilograms of tea annually. Special varieties of tea |
| harvested a day to produce about 4.5 kilograms of | | | | are also gaining ground; the market is expanding and |
| manufactured tea. Though mechanical pluckers are | | | | offering a greater choice to the consumer. It really is |
| sometimes used, hand plucking is said to be a better | | | | the cup that warms a lot of hearts all over the |
| option.Tea is graded according to the size of the | | | | globe!Tea provides detailed information on Tea, |
| leaves, which has nothing to do with the quality of | | | | Green Tea, Herbal Tea, White Tea and more. Tea is |
| the tea. In order of size, they are orange pekoe, | | | | affiliated with Benefits of Green Tea. |
| pekoe, and pekoe souchong. The smaller or broken | | | | |