Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world with a history that spans back over 5,000 years. It was popular even before the Egyptians built the great pyramids. Since ancient times tea has been revered for its many health benefits and therapeutic properties. Today over 6+ billion pounds of tea are harvested annually, with the best loose-leaf tea being compared to the experience of some of the finest wines in the world. As specialty teas become more popular people are thirsty to learn more about the history, hidden benefits and traditions of the different teas that are served around the world that they love. Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world after water, with approximately 18–20 billion cups consumed daily. There are five major types of tea black, white, oolong. green and dark. Many counties consider a few others including pu’erh, and yellow teas on that list of major teas. Despite the difference in color and taste all teas originates from the same plant the “Camellia Sinensis”. Camellia Sinensis it’s a tropical plant that was originally found in Asia but is now found in many other countries throughout the world. The variety in tea types stem from how the plant is grown, cultivated, plucked and the local environment where each plant grows. These differences give each plant its distinctive color, taste, leaf size and flavor.
Traditionally tea was produced in five main countries China, Japan, India, Taiwan and Sri Lanka, but now can be found in plantations and fields in the USA, South America, across Europe, parts of Africa and Australia and is served either as loose tea leaves or tea bags.