“Thomas Sullivan, a New York tea importer had to send tea samples to his clients. Since using metal tins seemed to be an expensive venture he resorted to small gauze packets. The confused clients were at a loss with the new packaging and just dropped them directly into hot water. Thus the Tea Bag was born.”
“Tibetans drink tea made of salt and rancid yak butter!”
“By 1650 the Dutch were actively involved in trade throughout the Western world. Peter Stuyvesant brought the first tea to America to the colonists in the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam (later re-named New York by the English). Settlers here were confirmed tea drinkers. And indeed, on acquiring the colony, the English found that the small settlement consumed more tea at that time then all of England put together.”
From: http://www.stashtea.com/from+2737+b_c_+through+today.aspx
“There is only one working tea plantation in the USA and it is located on Wadmalaw Island just outside Charleston, South Carolina. The plantation boasts 127 acres of tea bushes and a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.”
From: http://www.examiner.com/tea-in-atlanta/10-pieces-of-interesting-tea-trivia
“Keep in mind that tea is vulnerable to 5 things: air, light, odor, heat, and moisture. When tea is excessively exposed to these 5 elements, it will gradually lose flavor and become stale.
If you plan on not using your tea for a while, the best place to store it would be in double-lidded, airtight tin canisters or ceramic containers. Another very important rule to remember is to always keep tea at cool and dry places.
In general, black and oolong tea could be kept between 2-3 years under ideal conditions. Tea that is less oxidized has a shorter shelf time. Green and white tea could remain fresh for up to 2 years if stored properly.”
“An average of three billion cups of tea are consumed daily worldwide.”
