China is the birthplace of tea, and tea culture is equally profound. You might drink tea every day, but there are some little-known facts about tea that you may not be aware of. Below, we'll share some knowledge to help you become a tea culture expert! 1. There exists tea that costs $1,025,000 per kilogram. Da Hong Pao is considered the world's best tea, originating from Wuyi Mountain in Fujian, China.
2. There are many different varieties of tea in the world, but they all come from one plant: the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). The differences in tea types arise solely from variations in the processing methods of the tea leaves.
3. There are six different categories of tea: green tea, dark tea, black tea, yellow tea, white tea, and oolong tea. In English, black tea is referred to as "black tea."
4. The invention of the tea bag was a complete accident: tea was meant to be removed from its packaging for brewing, but no one understood that at the time. A merchant from New York, Thomas Shalivan, began distributing tea in small silk bags to his customers. He intended for them to empty the leaves for brewing, but his customers misunderstood.
5. In the Victorian era, there was a special type of teacup designed to prevent men's mustaches from dipping into the tea. This Mustache cup was invented by an English potter named Harvey Adams in the 1860s, when mustaches were highly fashionable. Even today, you can find some of these cups on eBay.
6. Placing dry tea bags in luggage or smelly shoes can absorb unpleasant odors. Tea bags can also be used to soothe the pain of sunburn.
7. Rinsing your hair with a cup of tea can make your locks silky smooth and shiny. However, this is only suitable for people with dark hair, as light hair can be stained by the tea.
8. Tea water is an excellent facial toner; it helps your skin combat oiliness.
9. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. According to statistics, 158 million people in the United States drink tea.
10. The British drink approximately 165 million cups of tea per day, which translates to 62 billion cups per year. The world's largest consumer of tea by volume is China, but when averaged per person, the situation changes—Turkey, Ireland, and the United Kingdom are the top three countries in per capita tea consumption.
