Ranked as the number one beverage consumed worldwide, tea takes the lead over coffee in both popularity and production with more than 5 million tons of tea produced annually. Although much of this tea is consumed in Asian, European and African countries, the United States drinks its fair share. According to estimates by the Tea Council of the United States, tea is enjoyed by no less than half of the U.S. population on any given day. Black tea or green tea - iced, spiced, or instant - tea drinking has spurred a billion-dollar business with major tea producers in Africa and South America and throughout Asia.

 

Tea is made from the leaves of an evergreen plant, Camellia sinensis, which grows tall and lush in tropical regions. On tea plantations, the plant is kept trimmed to approximately four feet high and as new buds called flush appear, they are plucked off by hand.  Even in today’s world of modern agricultural machinery, hand harvesting continues to be the preferred method.  Ideally, only the top two leaves and a bud should be pickeb.  This new growth produces the highest quality tea.

 

After being harvested, tea leaves are laid out on long drying racks, called withering racks, for 18 to 20 hours. Next, depending on the type of tea being produced, the leaves may be crushed or chopped to release flavor, and then fermented under controlled conditions of heat and humidity. For green tea, the whole leaves are often steamed to retain their green color, and the fermentation process is skipped.  Producing black teas requires fermentation during which the tea leaves begin to darken. After fermentation, black tea is dried in vats to produce its rich brown or black color.

 

No one knows when or how tea became popular, but legend has it that tea as a beverage, was discovered in 2737 B. C.  by Emperor Shen Nung of China when leaves from a Camellia dropped into his drinking water as it was boiling over a fire. As the story goes, Emperor Shen Nung drank the resulting liquid and proclaimed the drink to be most nourishing and refreshing. Though this account cannot be documented, it is thought that tea drinking probably originated in China and spread to other parts of Asia, then to Europe, and ultimately to America colonies around 1650.

 

With about half the caffeine content as coffee, tea is often chosen by those who want to reduce, but not necessarily eliminate their caffeine intake. Some people find that tea is less acidic than coffee and therefore easier on the stomach. Others have become interested in tea drinking since the National Cancer Institute published its findings on the antioxidant properties of tea. But whether tea is enjoyed for its perceived health benefits, its flavor, or as a social drink, teacups continue to be filled daily with the world’s most popular beverage.

Why does the author include statistics on the amount of tea produced, sold and consumed?