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Origins - The discovery of tea was an accident! Legend has it that in the year 2737 BC Chinese emperor Shen Nong and his court were resting during a long trip when several tree leaves fell into 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. It was considered just as valuable as money.

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Consumption - Tea is the second most-consumed beverage after 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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Export - The biggest producers of Camellia Sinensis are India and China.

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Influences - 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, including 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 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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United Kingdom - According to the Vintage News, the first ever English tea shop was established by Thomas Garraway in 1657. He created a pamphlet explaining the new beverage as, “That excellent and by all Physicians approved, China Drink, Called by the Chineans Tcha, by other Nations Tay alias Tee”.

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United Kingdom - The drink gained further acceptance in the UK after King Charles II married Catherine of Braganza in 1662.

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United Kingdom - Catherine of Braganza adored tea and introduced the concept of tea time to the court. 

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Colonization - Dutch and Portuguese colonizers brought tea to Europe.

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China - Between 1608 (the year tea was first 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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White tea 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 ageing, 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. 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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Tibet - In Tibet, tea is an essential part of their culture. It’s a symbol of hospitality and is sometimes considered a sacred offering.

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The most expensive - Made from the leaves of a rare tree, Da Hong Pao is the world’s most expensive tea. One gram of Da Hong Pao costs almost £1,000. However, the most expensive tea bag was produced by British tea brand PG Tips for their 75th anniversary. The bag contained 280 diamonds and is reportedly worth over £9,000.

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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 metres tall if it is not trimmed.

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Cultivation - 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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Infused tea - The term "herbal tea" is frequently used in reference to all the infusions that can be made from different plants.

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

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