30 fascinating facts about tea - Tea is popular all over the world but it is a staple in countries, such as China, India, the UK and the US. The health benefits of tea are innumerous because it contains several antioxidants and calming substances. It also aids in digestion and even helps the body fight stress. The beverage has been around for thousands of years and originated in China. Here are 30 fascinating facts about tea!

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Origins - The discovery of tea was an accident! Legend has it that in the year, 2737 B.C., Chinese emperor, Shen Nung, and his court were resting during a long trip when several tree leaves fell into the water that was being boiled.

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Origins - The leaves produced a brown and fragrant liquid, which the emperor tasted and enjoyed. Even though this story hasn't been fully proved, it is the most widely accepted.

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Commerce - In ancient China and Siberia, tea was frequently used as currency and it was considered just as valuable as money.

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Consumption - Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, only surpassed by water. It is estimated that over three billion cups of tea are consumed daily around the world.

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Preparation - Tea is prepared by infusing hot water with the leaves of an Asian plant known as, Camellia sinensis.

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Farming - The biggest producers of Camellia sisensis are India and China.

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Influences - The Chinese people were also responsible for bringing the tea culture to Japan.

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Consumers - The biggest consumers of tea in the world are, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Morocco, Russia, China, Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom.

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Benefits - Tea has several health benefits, such as suppressing the appetite, balancing cholesterol levels and keeping the heart healthy. All types of tea can be used for various illnesses.

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United Kingdom - The biggest importer and consumer of tea per capita in the world is the United Kingdom. On average, a British person drinks around four cups of tea a day. The beverage is a huge part of the culture.

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Afternoon tea - Legend has it that the 'five o'clock tea' (or 'afternoon tea') was brought to England by the Portuguese royal, Catherine of Braganza.

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Colonization - Dutch and Portuguese colonizers brought tea to Europe.

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China - Between 1608 (the year tea was brought to Europe) and 1850, China was the main exporter of tea among Asian countries.

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References - The oldest references of tea in European literature are attributed to Italian adventurer, Marco Polo.

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Variety - There are four main types of tea: black, white, green and oolong. Each one has hundreds of subtypes.

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Benefits - A cup of white tea has the same quantity of antioxidants as 10 glasses of apple juice. White tea also accelerates the metabolism and is highly recommended for people trying to lose weight.

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Tea vs. coffee - Even though there is a popular belief that tea has more caffeine than coffee, in reality, a cup of black tea contains half the caffeine present in a cup of coffee.

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Green tea - Green tea got its name from the green leaves of the Camellia sinensis, which go through a shorter oxidation process than black tea leaves.

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Green tea benefits - Besides containing the vitamins, B1, B2, K and C, green tea can lower bad cholesterol levels, activate the immune system, slow down aging and prevent diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer.

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Iced tea - The famous 'iced tea' was created in the United States by Richard Blechynden. He was promoting his tea at a fair when a heat wave struck the region and he decided to add ice to the tea.

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Tea bags - Tea bags were invented accidentally in the early 19th century by New York merchant, Thomas Sullivan. He decided to wrap the leaves in little gauze bags. The clients were so confused that they just dropped the whole bag into the cup of hot water!

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Black tea - Black tea is the most produced, exported and consumed tea in the world.

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Almost a religion - In Tibet, tea is nearly considered a sacred drink.

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The most expensive - The most expensive tea bag of all time was produced by British company, PG Tips, for their 75th birthday. The tea bag contained a limited edition of premium tea leaves and 280 diamonds.

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Expression - The term, 'teaspoon,' comes from the fact that a tea spoon was the perfect unit of measurement when making tea with loose leaves.

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Camellia sinensis - The Camellia sinensis plant can grow up to nine meters tall if it is not trimmed.

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Workers - An experienced farmer can gather 32 kg of tea leaves per day, which is enough to make 14,000 cups of tea.

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Infusions - The term, 'herbal tea,' is frequently used in reference to all the infusions that can be made from different plants.

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Infusions - Technically, these infusions cannot be called 'teas' because tea is exclusively prepared with leaves from the plant, Camellia sinensis.

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