Tea is one of the most popular hot beverages to be enjoyed anytime, whether that is to start off your morning, have with your lunch, or to end the day with. There are multiple flavours of different teas to enjoy which come from all corners of the world. Each flavour of tea has its own delightful taste and health benefits, making exploring the different kinds so wonderful. Have you tried them all?
If you're reading this it means you love a cuppa as much as we do but before we get into the nitty-gritty of all the yummy teas out there and how good they are for you, here are a few fun facts.
Tea Fun Facts
Tea as a drink was first discovered in China in 2737bc. Legend has it that Emperor Shen Nung, was sitting under a tree waiting for his servant to boil his drinking water. Some leaves from the tree fell into the water and Nung decided to try the concoction.
Why do we add milk? Two reasons, firstly because in the 18th century some people could not afford bone china teacups, and to prevent the boiling hot water from shattering their cups, they added milk to cool it down. Also, it is said that poorer quality tea could be bitter so milk was added to dilute the taste.
Brits drink 165 million cups of tea per day!
PG Tips is one of the most popular brand of tea in the UK.
Turkey is the biggest consumer of tea with Ireland second and Britain third.
The first tea bags were made from silk and were actually sent out as samples of loose leaf tea.
Tea was first grown in China but is now grown in over 50 countries worldwide.
After water Tea is the world's most-consumed drink.
It takes around 2,000 tea leaves to make just one pound of finished tea.
Compared to other caffeinated drinks, you are less likely to get a 'caffeine crash' when you drink tea.
There are over 3000 varieties of tea grown around the world.
Tea is a natural source of fluoride that can help protect against tooth decay.
How long should a tea bag steep?Yorkshire Tea the third most sold tea in the UK says: 'Tea needs time to unlock all its flavour, so give it 4-5 minutes to do its thing.'
Black Tea is considered to be the most popular tea in the world, especially in the UK, America, Ireland, and France. Black Tea originated in Kenya, Sri Lanka, and India. Black Tea is more oxidized than other teas and is the strongest of all the caffeine teas.
Different flavours of Black tea include the famous English Breakfast, which is perfect to blend with milk, and sugar. Earl Grey is a tea that has a mix of citrus, and bergamot, that originated in China. Ireland, France, and America have their own versions of Breakfast tea also.
Some of the health benefits associated with drinking black tea, include heart health. It is also said to be helpful in reducing blood pressure and risk from serious health problems such as cancer, and stroke. The properties in black tea protect your body from oxidative stress and improve your focus.
Lovers of black tea would love to receive this Whittard of Chelsea Tea Discovery a Taste of Tea Gift set which is boxed beautifully and contains an assortment of 40 teabags, including Earl Grey, Darjeeling, English Breakfast and Afternoon Tea to name a few.
Speciality black teas
Mariage Freres (French Breakfast) - If you love an English breakfast tea, you need to try the French take on breakfast tea. This perfect marriage of great and elegant black teas produces a rounded taste of malt and chocolate. Its highly developed flavour is both powerful and refined.
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White Tea:
White Tea is another popular caffeinated tea enjoyed by everyone, the world over. Mostly harvested in China but mainly produced in other countries in Asia such as India, Nepal, Taiwan, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
Despite being a caffeinated drink, White Tea does not have as high a caffeine content as Black, and Green Tea. It is also the least processed tea on the market because it's made using the youngest and the finest leaves (before the leaves have opened) which are quickly dried to stop them oxidising. White Tea has a more savoury taste to it compared to other teas which taste sweeter.
A few of the touted health benefits include fat burning for weight loss and weight control. It's also said to offer good protection for your teeth against bacteria. Anti-ageing benefits include slowing down the appearance of ageing skin and it's also said to give drinkers good protection from other age-related diseases such as Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's.
My personal favourite white tea is made by The Tea Makers of London their Jasmine Silver Needle has such a subtle and crisp flavour!
Tetley was the leading tea brand in convenience and independent grocery stores in the United Kingdom in 2021. The brand had sales of 10.1 million GBP in that year. PG Tips was a close second with sales of 9.2 million pounds.
Green Tea:
Green Tea is another popular caffeinated hot drink that people enjoy drinking. Also grown mostly in China but not oxidated in the same way as Black Tea is. Green Tea is produced in countries around East and South Asia. Green tea tastes amazing all on it's own but you can also find a variety of different flavours such as mint green tea, honey lemon green tea, and much more, all have their unique taste.
Of all the teas we mention here, Green tea is probably the one with the highest 'Health' profile. Like White Tea, it is good for weight loss and protection against cancer. It is also believed that Green Tea is helpful for enhancing memory thanks to an amino acid known as L-Theanine which helps with reducing stress and combined with Caffeine is helpful for improving brain function, better memory, concentration, and reduction of anxiety.
Try out this delicious VAHDAM Green Tea hand-plucked from the Himalayas!
Herbal Teas:
Herbal Tea is flavoured tea that contains no caffeine, and they are super refreshing to drink literally any time of the day. They are the perfect choice of hot drink to take for people who do not drink caffeinated drinks or want to have tea at the end of the night to wind down from a stressful day.
There are loads of different flavours of Herbal tea to enjoy. One of the most popular is Peppermint. The fresh minty taste of this tea is best enjoyed after a meal. Peppermint is good for relaxing muscles and is helpful for your stomach to prevent stomach pains and indigestion.
Then there is Ginger tea, which blends so well with other flavours such as lemon, apple, and many more. Ginger Teas have a more spicy and savoury taste to them compared to other teas which taste sweeter. Some unique health benefits include fighting inflammation and strengthening your immune system so that you can bounce back faster from illness. Ginger tea is also known to alleviate menstrual cramps.
Chamomile Tea is another popular pre-bedtime tea that has a perfect blend of sweet, and savoury. Like ginger tea, Chamomile has been mixed with other flavours such as vanilla and manuka honey. This hot drink has some interesting health benefits such as calming you down, improving sleep quality and preventing symptoms of depression from occurring.
For the perfect bedtime hot drink try T2 Tea Nighty Night Herbal Tea. The mix of St Johns Wort, Lemonbalm and Chamomile make a tasty infusion to get you off to the land of dreams.
Tea is to be enjoyed
Overall Tea is such a healthy and refreshing hot drink to enjoy, and it is a beverage that can be enjoyed any time of the day, whether that is starting up your day, or in the evening to relax, and every flavour of tea has its own health benefits.
Tea, with or without caffeine provides you with a comforting break, and pick me up that, health benefits aside, helps us all de-stress for a few blissful minutes from our hectic lives. There is nothing better than making yourself a pot of tea for some relaxation and mental rejuvenation. Next time try making your favourite tea in a pot, it enhances the taste and makes it more special. The VAHDAM Porcelain Teapot is perfect for your morning brew. It keeps the tea warm and allows for maximum infusion and taste.
Sales of the leading tea brands in convenience and independent grocery stores in the UK in 2021
Want to know how the different brands of tea stack up in terms of sales in the UK? Have a look at the list below.
On the UKtea & Infusions website they have a ticker which shows how many cups of tea are being consumed in UK so far today. They've also got lots of facts about all the teas we've mentioned here, plus so much more.
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