Five facts about tea you definitely won’t know

Some of us only drink tea in the winter when we have a cold, while others – including me – are sipping the stuff all year round. It’s a longstanding part of culture and identity in many countries around the world. No wonder, then, that there are plenty of interesting and surprising stories about the beloved beverage.

Chai or tea?

Names for this hot beverage fall broadly into two camps. What we generally call «tea» in Europe is known as «chai», «cay» or «cha» in Asian countries. Even though the spelling varies from country to country, the pronunciation’s pretty much the same. Both terms have roots in China, where tea originally came from and spread all over the world. Depending on the dialect, it sounds more like «tea» – as is common here – or «cha». Where it was exported from China over land, «cha» is more common. «Tea» was used more often on the southern Chinese coast. So, the name arrived in European countries by sea along with the leaves themselves. So, if you order a chai tea, what you’re actually asking for is a tea-tea, or a chai-chai.

A pricey pour

Does pu-erh tea taste good or not? Opinion seems to be divided on the subject. Some people describe it as earthy and mild; others call it musty, fungus-like or even mouldy. What makes this type of tea special is that it’s fermented. Unlike black tea – which oxidises in dry air – microorganisms cause the fermentation of pu-erh tea. The process can take years. And the longer the fermentation, the more intense the aroma – and the higher the price. According to Rainer Schmidt in The great tea book (available in German), a 60 to 80-year-old pot of the stuff can cost as much as 1,000 dollars.

Tea

NaturKraftWerke Pu-erh

60 g

Tea

London Tea Pu Erh organic

100 g

Tea

London Tea Pu Erh Orange Blossom

100 g

5

Tea

NaturKraftWerke Pu-erh

60 g

Tea

London Tea Pu Erh organic

100 g

Tea

London Tea Pu Erh Orange Blossom

100 g

5

Tea time

Although England’s daily tea ritual is the most famous, it’s the Australians who hold the world record for the largest simultaneous tea party. According to Guinness World Records, on 26 May 2005, 280,246 people drank tea at exactly the same time at 6,062 locations across Australia. The event was organised by the Australian Cancer Council.

Hand-picked – literally

Most tea is still harvested by hand. This is because only the outer two leaves of the branches on the bush can be picked for production. Professional pickers can tell the new and old leaves apart with the naked eye. In countries such as Japan, machines are becoming increasingly commonplace because high picker wages (article in German) push up prices and stop the product being marketable. But the machines don’t pick the right leaves as easily. That’s why the bushes are cultivated to grow upwards rather than outwards, so the machines can get to the newest leaves without cutting off the older ones.

Tea-drunk

The Chinese term «cha zui» means something like «tea-drunk». Depending on the type and amount, tea can have a psychoactive effect due to ingredients such as caffeine or theine. The buzz or «tea high» isn’t comparable to the effect of alcohol, but some people believe tea can be euphoric, mood-lifting and energising.

My colleague Anna Sander tried to convert from coffee to tea. Read her article to see how it went: