Practically considered a social spice, tea is one of the most consumed beverages by human beings in the world. In addition to being a delicious drink, which can even be consumed at any time of the day, tea also brings countless health benefits and unusual facts about its dissemination around the world. Here are some fun facts about tea:

Drink has been taken for five thousand years in the Orient

In the Middle East, tea has been drunk for approximately five thousand years, while in the West, it has been consumed for approximately 400 years. The beginning of the use of tea as a drink for medicinal purposes is not very clear, whereas as a social drink, it dates at least from the time of the Tang dynasty, which was between the years 618 and 907. The Chinese calendar is different from that used in the West, while we are in the year 2016, for example, in China they are in 4713. The first westerners to have contact with tea were the Portuguese who went to Japan in 1543.

In Siberia, blocks of solid tea were used as money until 1800

Before the invention of money, it was common that exchanges were made for goods. Objects, food and animals were used as bargaining chips in various businesses. In the 19th century, in Siberia, solid blocks of tea were used as local currency.

China produces most of the tea consumed in the world

Annually, 3.5 million tons of tea are produced in the world, and of these 3.5 million, China produces 1.4 million. The country that is the birthplace of the drink is its biggest producer. Altogether, 1.6 million tons is the amount of tea consumed each year in China. The Chinese are fanatical about drinking, they even have ceremonies and festivities dedicated to it.

Iced tea was invented in the United States

Iced tea emerged in the United States around the 18th century, in the state of South Carolina. The first recipes were made with green tea, black tea being the most popular today. About 85% of the tea consumed in the United States is iced, and it is considered a popular alternative to carbonated drinks, especially in the southern region of the country, where the temperature is higher.

Tea is the third most consumed beverage in the world

For a long time, tea was the second most consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. However, later, it ended up leaving the position for coffee, thus falling to third place in the ranking.