12 Unknown Tea Facts: Tea Day Special

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Coming from one of the largest tea drinking nations of the world, we might think we know all the facts about tea. But some things about this popular beverage may still surprise you. The 15th of December is celebrated as World Tea Day. This tradition was started since 2005 in many of the tea producing countries like China and India.

Nowadays, there is a lot of debate about which the healthiest type of tea is or which is the most expensive variety of tea. So on the occasion of world tea day, let us bring you face to face with little known facts about tea.

1. Tea is the second most common beverage in the whole world. The beverage that is most widely drunk is water!

2. Tea is basically a Chinese concept. It was used for the first time by a Chinese emperor in the 1400s.

3. Another important fact about tea is that there are mainly 2 species of tea plants. One is the Chinese variety and the other is the one grown in the hills of Assam, Darjeeling etc.

4. There are basically 6 different types of teas- black, white, green, yellow, oolong and puerh.

5. All these types of teas come from the same plant but the processing in entirely different. Thus, the teas have different flavours.

6. White tea is the bud of the tea plant. It is not processed and contains the maximum amount of antioxidants.

7. Green tea is not picked in the winter to avoid oxidisation. Instead it is allowed to wither and then sun dried to kill the oxidation enzymes in it.

8. Yellow tea is also unoxidised to a great extent. But the process of making it is slightly different.

9. Black tea is the standard form of tea drunk in most parts of the world. It is known for its strong flavour.

10. Oolong also comes under the banner of green tea. But for oolong large tea leaves are picked and it is partially (up to 70 per cent) oxidised.

11. Puerh is a special variety of Chinese tea that is prepared like wine. This tea is steamed and then stored in the form of cakes. The cakes are allowed to mature for several years during which they sweeten and develop a distinct flavour. This is one of the most expensive varieties of tea available in the world.

12. Some of the most expensive varieties of tea are grown by fertilising with the poop of bugs and Panda! This practice is common in China.

These were some of the little known facts about tea. Have a happy and healthy World Tea Day.