10 Surprising Facts About Tea.

Do you consider yourself a tea expert? It’s possible you still have a thing (or ten) to learn about the world’s favourite beverage. These ten tea facts even had us expanding our tea knowledge! Find out more historical facts, tips, and trivia-ready snippets you probably didn’t know.

10 Facts About Tea

1. 98% of people take milk with their tea.

2. Tea first arrived in Canada in 1716. It was imported by the Hudson Bay Company and took over a year to arrive.

3. There is an official term for the moment tea leaves uncurl as hot water pours over them. It’s called “the agony of the leaves.”

4. Tea used to be very expensive and was commonly locked away in a tea chest in the parlor.

5. High Tea originated in the Victorian era when guests would enjoy tea at a high dining table with their evening meal.

6. The best green tea is the first harvest from late April to early May.

7. In ancient China, tea was used as a form of currency. Bricks of tea could even be broken down into change.

8. It took about 3,000 years for tea to transition from being a medicinal beverage to a casual drink.

9. The tea bag was created by accident. In 1908 Thoma Sullivan from the United States gave tea samples in silk bags. People thought the bag was meant to be placed directly in a teapot like a diffuser.

10. Way back when, milk was poured into teacups first to protect the china. Pouring milk in last became indicative of status since the tea-drinker was proving that their China was high quality.

Learn More About Tea

If you enjoy learning more about tea, don’t miss our new monthly FAQ series. On the last week of the month, we’ll be releasing answers to the most commonly asked questions about tea. Check out our first installment FAQ: The Origins of Tea.

Sources:

1. UK Tea & Infusions. Tea Facts. Retrieved from: https://www.tea.co.uk/tea-facts

2. Tea Answers. 51 Facts Every Tea Lover Should Know. Retrieved from http://www.teaanswers.com/tea-facts-trivia/