National Afternoon Tea Week 2014: The top 10 facts about tea!

Below are top 10 facts you probably didn’t know about your favourite afternoon drink – the humble cup of tea.

16:55 13 August 2014

1. It was in early 1800s when the teabags were invented in the United States. They were used to hold samples of tea brought from India. 

 

2. All tea in the world comes from just one plant – Camellia sinensis. The tea varies in colour and taste based on how the leaves were treated. 

 

3. Black tea, which is called the champagne of tea, is grown in the eponymous area of Indian Bengal. It is one of the most expensive teas in the world. 

 

4. Tea is a staple drink in the UK. It is usually drunk during eleven in the morning and eleven at night together with some cakes - hence the term elevenses.

 

5. In 1700s, tea replaced gin as the drink of the masses and has since became the nation’s favourite beverage. 

 

6. Tea, as you're no doubt aware, can be drunk hot or cold. It goes really well with ice, lemon, lime, or leaves of mint.

 

7.Tea cultivation is India’s second largest industry. Indian tea is the variety most commonly drunk in the world although the product originally came from China. 

 

8.Tea leaves are very effective in keeping away mosquitoes. Simply use slightly damp leaves to add the scent of tea to the areas you want to keep insect-free. 

 

9.Drinking tea offers many benefits. It helps to heal shaving cuts, can be used to marinade meat, eliminates bad odours when added to a foot bath, is a great fertiliser for roses, and is surprisingly good when used for cleaning floors. 

 

10. One of Eleanor Roosevelt's most famous quotes is about tea: "Women are like tea bags. They do not know how strong they are until they get into hot water."