FactsAbout Tea

From1608, when tea first appeared in Europe, in Holland, until around1850, China was the main source of all the tea drunk in the WesternWorld.

Itwas not until 1652 that the first samples of tea reached thethirsty mouths of England. Great Britain was the last of the threegreat sea-faring nations to break into the Chinese and East Indiantrade routes.  Tea drinking was already popular in France andHolland before it replaced ale as the national drink of England.

Beforethe introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two mainmeals: a breakfast of bread, ale and beef and a large hearty dinnerat the end of the day.  Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, who oftengot hungry and irritable in late afternoon, began inviting friendsto join her for an informal five o'clock meal. The meal consisted ofsmall cakes, sandwiches, sweets, and of course, tea. Thus began thetradition of the English afternoon tea.

Manycoffee houses of the 18th century actually served only tea! Theywere named coffee houses because coffee had arrived in Great Britainbefore tea. These coffee houses were often dubbed "PennyUniversities" because a patron could receive a pot of tea and anewspaper for only a penny.

TeaGardens were the first social environment that allowed formixed-company of both the sexes and the classes. It was in theseopen-air gardens, that men and women, upper and lower class, wereallowed to mingle without censure.

Theconcept of tipping first was developed in the English tea gardens.To Insure Proper Service (TIPS), customers would drop coins in asmall wooden box.

By1800 England alone was consuming 24 million pounds for each year oftea of every type from white and green to oolong and black, all ofit organically grown and hand-made, much of it fit for Emperors andkings. Most tea consumed in England between 1650 and 1850 was greenand oolong - not black!

Tinboxes were too expensive, so New York importer ThomasSullivan looked for a cheaper way to send his tea samples toclients. Wrapping the tea in gauze "packets" seemed theperfect answer, but his customers were confused by the new"packaging." Instead of removing the tea, they steeped it,gauze and all, into boiling water. Without realizing it, Sullivanhad created the tea bag!

Green tea - a less processedversion of the ubiquitous black tea, with far less caffeine and morehealthful properties - has long been known for its immune systembenefits and anti-oxidant powers. Now, US scientists say drinkinggreen tea may also help to prevent tooth decay and bad breath. It appearsthat chemicals in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses, and it ispossible that adding tea extracts to toothpaste and mouthwash couldmake them more effective.