10 COMPELLING TEA ESSENTIALS

• Legend has it that tea was discovered by Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2737 BCE when a tea leaf accidentally fell into his bowl of hot water.
• History of tea drinking in India began with a devout Buddhist monk about almost 2000 years ago. It so happened when a Buddhist monk decided to spend seven sleepless years contemplating the life and teachings of Buddha decided to chew the leaves of nearby wild tea plant which kept him conscious.
• In early 1900 century, Thomas Sullivan, a New York tea merchant started to send samples of tea to his customers in small silken bags and tea bag was born accidentally
• China is the world’s largest producer of tea. In 2009, China produced 1,359,000 tonnes; India was second with 979,000 tonnes.
• Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, after water.
• The art of reading tea leaves is called tasseography.
• A Teetotaler is a person who abstains from drinking alcohol, prefers other non-alcoholic beverages, and has absolutely nothing to do with tea.
• As tea absorbs moisture, it is important to store loose tea or tea bags in a tin or a sealed jar.
• Tea plants need at least 50 inches of rain a year.
• It takes around four to 12 years for a tea plant to produce seed. It takes about three years before a new plant is ready to harvest.