Wet Pluto

Tea is drunk in more countries than any other beverage. It is one of the most popular drinks today. Little wonder it is known as ‘the cup that cheers.’

The yearly worldwide production of dried tea leaves is over 2.6 billion kilograms. India is one of the leading tea producers offering 720 million kilograms each year. Other countries that produce tea are Kenya, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. China is a major producer of green tea. The main types of tea available today are black, white, green, and oolong. The only difference between them is the way they are made.

The tea tree is an evergreen plant with small, white, sweet-smelling flowers. Grown on hill slopes on tea estates, its botanical name is ‘Camellia sinensis.’ In about four to five years the tea tree produces a ‘flush’ or a growth of new shoots with many leaves and a bud, which are picked by hand. Approximately 18 kilograms of tea leaves can be harvested a day to produce about 4.5 kilograms of manufactured tea. Though mechanical pluckers are sometimes used, hand plucking is said to be a better option.

Tea is graded according to the size of the leaves, which has nothing to do with the quality of the tea. In order of size, they are orange pekoe, pekoe, and pekoe souchong. The smaller or broken leaves are used in tea bags. Each tea company has tea tasters who select only specific teas.

Tea has a colorful history. It was supposed to have been discovered by Emperor Shennong of China in about 2737 B.C. It finds its mention in Chinese around 350 A.D. In Japan, tea drinking was elevated to a full-fledged ceremony by 600 A.D. In the 1600s, it was imported into Europe from China by the Dutch. By 1657, it was being sold in English coffee houses. 1773 was the year of the famous Boston Tea Party.

Today tea is a popular beverage all over the world. The country importing the most tea is the UK, importing a total of about 180 million kilograms per year. It has been calculated that the British drink 3.2 kilograms of tea per person every year. Australians and New Zealanders are also great tea drinkers and each person would, on an average, be drinking about 1.4 kilograms of tea annually. Special varieties of tea are also gaining ground; the market is expanding and offering a greater choice to the consumer. It really is the cup that warms a lot of hearts all over the globe!