#rivertea

Now that it's fall and the weather's getting cold, people are starting to drink hot drinks, like tea. So in honor, here are 5 facts you didn't know about tea. 

1. All tea comes from the same plant. The Camellia sinensis plant. The things that make each tea different are, the different varietals, oxidation levels, and different processing techniques. Herbal teas though, are not real tea.

2.  Tea is the second most popular drink over water.

3. Tea shouldn't be prepared with boiling water.

Some teas are able to be prepared with boiling water, although most of the time, tea should be prepared with warm water around 65 to 80 degrees Celsius. The reason tea shouldn't be prepared with boiling water is because boiling it makes it lose it's flavor.

4. China is the biggest producer of tea, supplying 29% of the worlds tea, with India coming in a close second.

5. 85% of the tea consumed in the United States is iced tea.

Here are the sources I used to get this information.

Samovar Tea

http://www.samovartea.com/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-tea/

Random History

http://facts.randomhistory.com/tea-facts.html

Food Network

http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2013/01/10-interesting-facts-about-tea-iron-chef-america-ingredients-101/

River Tea