Answer: A tea from a nearby tree drifted into water he was boiling in his garden
History doesn't tell us what the Emperor was boiling water in his garden for, but it's a good thing he drank the infused water he got and discovered just how good tea was! The legend goes on to claim that the Emperor also discovered the medicinal qualities of tea at the same time. Incidentally, Shen Nong, also spelt Shennong, also reportedly discovered the properties of marijuana and taught them to his subjects. That's not my cup of tea!
As an alternative to marijuana, maybe the Emperor should have brewed himself a nice up of Rose Hip tea. High in vitamin C, rose hips can ease inflammation, helping to combat joint pain related to problems such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Cups of this can also combat weight gain! *sipping noise* Mmm, watch those pounds slip away.
From Quiz: A Time for Tea
Answer: Turkey
In many people's minds, Turkey is synonymous with extra-strong coffee. However, according to 2021 data, the transcontinental country has the world's highest tea consumption per capita - higher than China, Japan, or the United Kingdom. Known in Turkish as "çay", tea was introduced to present-day Turkey by Silk Road traders in the 5th century AD. It became especially popular in Turkey after the end of the Ottoman Empire in the 1920s, when coffee had become rare and expensive. Now tea is grown on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, whose mild climate and fertile soil are favourable to its cultivation; about half of Turkey's tea production is consumed domestically.
Turkish tea is prepared with an implement called a "çaydanlık" ("teapot"), a metal teapot capped by a smaller teapot, the "demlik". Water is boiled in the lower part of this vessel, while the demlik is used to prepare a strong, concentrated tea infusion that people can dilute with hot water to taste. The small glasses called "ince belli" ("slim-waisted") have a distinctive tulip shape (the tulip being Turkey's national flower), and allow the drinker to enjoy the tea's beautiful, reddish-brown colour. Tea is served with cubes of beet sugar, but no milk or lemon. Though tea is consumed throughout the day, in Turkey there is also a "teatime" - between three and five in the afternoon - when the beverage is enjoyed with biscuits and cakes. While Turkish tea houses ("kiraathane") are generally restricted to men, outdoor tea gardens are more relaxed environments, often offering music and games together with the tea.
From Quiz: It's Five O'Clock
Answer: Lapsang souchong
Lapsang souchong is the most well-known smoked tea. It has a very distinct flavor that is not everybody's "cup-of-tea". Black tea is dried over a pinewood fire that gives it a smoked pine aroma. The commercial name Lapsang souchong means Pinewood souchong tea, souchong being a category of tea leaves, usually the broader ones. Because of its potent flavor and aroma, it is often used in small quantities in tea blends, such as in Russian Caravan or Icelandic Moss blend.
From Quiz: So You Want to Be a Magical Tea
Answer: Thomas Twining
Thomas Twining migrated with his family to London during a recession. Though he originally learned the family trade of weaving, he then learned the tea trade from Thomas D'Aeth of the East India Company.
"It seems in some cases kind nature hath planned
That names with their callings agree,
For Twining the Teaman that lives in the Strand,
Would be "wining; deprived of his T."
-T. Hook (1778-1841)
From Quiz: Ten Tan Tin Teas
Answer: Victoria
It makes sense that a beverage so steeped in tradition should become popular during an era preoccupied with manners and etiquette. Once everyone discovered tea's refreshing benefits, it quickly became so ingrained in everyday life that a "cuppa" is considered a solution to any personal problem. It's not a bad start!
From Quiz: Please Pass the Sugar
Answer: Camellia Sinensis
Camellia Sinensis is a species of evergreen shrub native to Asia whose leaves and buds are used to produce tea. There are four major tea types which are black, green, white and oolong but they all come from this plant. It is how the the leaves are treated after they are harvested that creates the different teas. All the leaves are withered, rolled and heated and then the different teas are created using different processes.
From Quiz: A Storm in a Teacup
Answer: Sui Dynasty
Tea grows spontaneously in the wild only in China, India, and Burma. Its origin is a stretch of land around Northern Burma and Southern China. When it was first consumed in China, it was quickly spread to other countries in Asia. Eventually, Buddhist monks travelling to Japan brought tea with them and spread it to the island nation.
From Quiz: Polly Put the Kettle on
Answer: Assam
The tropical Indian areas that border Bangladesh produce some of the world's most popular teas and Assam is one such location. The malty flavour that characterises Assam tea leaves (Camellia Assamica) makes it a popular choice for consumption at breakfast, particularly in the UK. Assam tea leaves differ from Darjeeling tea leaves, which are grown nearby, in terms of the physical geography of their respective plantations; Assam leaves are harvested from the lowlands of northeast India whilst Darjeeling leaves flourish in the highlands.
From Quiz: Tea: A Global Refreshment
Answer: Red Tea
Rooibos is a South African bush from which tea-like leaves are collected. Its name literally means "Red Bush" in Afrikaans. While rooibos tea undergoes a similar treatment process to black and green tea and also shares some of the important flavor-gving substances, the plant itself is not related to the tea plant. Rooibos tea has a sweet, nut-like aroma and is treasured by many health-conscious tea lovers for its high content of antioxidants and low tannin levels.
From Quiz: Tea or Coffee?
Answer: Using two mugs, pour a mug of milk tea into another mug and pour it back again.Continue till you see foam.
"Tarik" means to pull in Malay or Indonesian. A mug of milk tea is poured into an empty mug and poured back again. This requires skills from the person who prepares the tea as the mug of hot tea is lifted above the height of his shoulders and pour into an empty mug that is held below the height of his waist, without being scalded. There are two purposes : To create a light tea and also to cool the tea sufficiently for drinking. Only tea dust is used to prepare such teas.
From Quiz: My Cuppa Tea
Answer: China
China claims to have first used green tea more than 5000 years ago. There are many versions of how the discovery was first made but one widely accepted version relates the story of how a Chinese scholar was boiling water for his evening meal when some leaves of a tea plant fell into the water as he was replenishing the fire. On tasting the water he found the drink so refreshing he further refined the process and passed the knowledge on to subsequent generations. The tradition of tea drinking became established over the years and it is thought the practice was first introduced to Japan by Buddhist monks in the eighth century. Here it was first used as a medicine in upper class social circles and when the art of the tea ceremony was introduced in the 1500s the custom of tea drinking was introduced to the common people.
From Quiz: Green Tea
Answer: Camellia sinensis
Tea comes from the Camellia sinensis, more commonly called the tea bush. It is indigenous to south east Asia. Nowadays it is cultivated in various tropical and sub-tropical countries, including Kenya, Iran, Australia and Argentina.
From Quiz: Everything Stops for Tea
Answer: Shen Nong
Shen Nong was later deified as the god of agriculture...as he was considered the first farmer!
From Quiz: Questions on Tea
Answer: Camellia sinensis
Camellia sinensis means 'the Chinese camellia' in Latin. It is related to garden camellias. Theobroma cacao is where cocoa and chocolate come from, and Arabidopsis thaliana is a little weed that is often used in biological experiments.
From Quiz: Tea
Answer: fermented and pickled
As is the case of most Asian countries, tea is Myanmar's preferred beverage. However, the country formerly known as Burma is probably the only place in the world where tea is also treated as food. This unique tradition, indigenous to the country, is believed by some to be very ancient, though the habit of drinking tea may have been introduced to Myanmar no earlier than the 12th century. In any case, "lahpet" has a prominent role in Burmese cuisine and culture, and is often served to guests as a gesture of hospitality. Its preparation is quite lengthy, involving three steps: pre-fermentation, fermentation (which may take up to 4 months), and the washing, kneading and draining of the fermented leaves. This process is essential to reduce the bitterness of the fresh tea leaves. The leaves are then seasoned with garlic, chili, salt, lemon juice, and peanut oil, and served in a shallow lacquerware tray with several accompaniments. Lahpet is widespread in Myanmar, and sold both in shops and street stalls; some people even make it at home.
Most of the tea consumed in Myanmar, either as food or drink, is grown in the northern part of the country, near the Chinese border. Tea is first dry-roasted in a pan, then soaked in hot water, yielding a strong brew that is then combined with evaporated and sweetened condensed milk. In order to create a frothy top, as well as cool the drink, the tea mixture is poured back and forth from two vessels from a height - a method called "teh tarik" in Malay.
From Quiz: It's Five O'Clock
Answer: Chamomile
Chamomile tea is made with the dried flowers of the chamomile plant which belongs to the Asteraceae family of plants, the same family as daisy, aster and sunflowers. It is not a tea, per se, since it does not contain the plant camellia sinensis, but an infusion, made by steeping the flowers in hot water for a period of time. The health benefits of the infusion are known for thousands of years. It helps in a variety of medical conditions such as menstrual pains, digestive discomfort, mild infections of the eyes and mouth. It also lowers the levels of blood sugar and improves sleep quality.
From Quiz: So You Want to Be a Magical Tea
Answer: Tom's Coffee House
Men would gather at coffee houses and drink most anything but the contaminated water. Thomas Twining began to sell tea. Though women were discouraged from coming inside, they could wait in a carriage while their footman purchased from the coffee house.
From Quiz: Ten Tan Tin Teas
Answer: Kyusu
Kyusu are traditional Japanese teapots which are usually made from porcelain. They are specifically designed to brew green tea (tea that has not been as highly processed as teas such as Oolong or black teas). The word "kyusu" literally translates from the Japanese language as "teapot" although it is generally used to refer to a teapot with a side handle.
From Quiz: A Storm in a Teacup
Answer: Pu-erh tea
Named for the town of Pu'er in Yunnan province in China, pu-erh tea is typically fermented, and can undergo ageing for several years. This makes it even earthier than typical black tea, although it is known as 'hēichá' in China, which does translate as 'black tea'. The tea known in the West as 'black tea' is usually called 'hóngchá', or 'red tea' in China. Pu-erh tea is usually sold as a single large piece and can be purchased in various different shapes, including square, disc and mushroom.
From Quiz: Drink It Up!
Answer: A lidded bowl for brewing and drinking tea
A gaiwan is a special device that is used to both brew and drink Chinese tea. The special cup (which means "lidded bowl" in traditional Chinese) consists of a small bowl, a lid, and a saucer. The tea is brewed in the bowl, sometimes with the lid and sometimes without, depending on the type of tea being brewed. Then, traditionally, the gaiwan is used to drink the tea as well. All three parts are held while drinking from the vessel; which can be difficult to master, especially with the liquid being so hot. The lid also provides a means of keeping the leaves from entering the mouth while drinking the tea within. The gaiwan has been around since the Ming Dynasty, though modern gaiwans are much smaller and use more leaves to brew than when it was first invented.
From Quiz: What's Brewing in the Teapot?
Answer: India
Britain badly wanted to cultivate tea in India, as they wanted to sell it to India for a profit. In order to do so, they sent Robert Fortune on a secret mission to collect tea plants and bring them to India. The mission had to be secret because China was in between its Opium Wars with Britain and didn't want foreigners. Despite his mission being a success, plants native to the Himalaya region in India were more successful than the plants Fortune brought from China, and were used by the British instead.
From Quiz: Polly Put the Kettle on
Answer: Coffea arabica
Regarded as the "coffee shrub of Arabia", Coffea arabica is commonly found in parts of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly Ethiopa and Yemen, where it's been grown for more than 1000 years. The plants typically take 7 years to mature fully, bloom with white flowers, and bear red or purple fruits that normally contain two beans for harvesting. Other types of the plant are grown in the Java region of Indonesia along with multiple countries in Central and South America.
From Quiz: Tea or Coffee?
Answer: All of these countries mentioned
Interestingly, these countries were part of the British Empire. The locals took on tea-drinking habits from the British. There are variations with interesting names.In Hong Kong, you can "panty-hose milk tea" or in Singapore and Malaysia, you can find "pulled milk tea". In Malaysia, some parts of India or Singapore, you may find rows of empty condensed milk tins on the shelf. They are not thrown away. Instead, they are reused to carry takeaways.
From Quiz: My Cuppa Tea
Answer: chai
Chai usually contains spices such as nutmeg...very delicious!
From Quiz: Questions on Tea
Answer: Lapsang Souchong
I've tried to like Lapsang Souchong, but it's just too disgusting.
From Quiz: Tea
Answer: Tea became the national drink of China AND became taxed
Tea was so popular during this Dynasty that not only was it the national drink, but it was also a good way for the government to make some money through taxation. It was around the same time that Lu Zhu, a Buddhist monk, wrote the Classic of Tea document, wherein he described all things tea: how to make it, what types there were, and what its benefits were. He linked tea with spirituality, and described a tea-drinking ceremony.
As you're digesting these spiritual guidelines, perhaps what you need is some Peppermint tea. This brew is renowned for being an aid to digestion, as well as irritable bowel syndrome. It is considered to have anticancer and antibacterial properties as well, to name a few. Delicious!
From Quiz: A Time for Tea
Answer: Mint
Moroccan tea is made with gunpowder tea, water, sugar and fresh mint leaves. Gunpowder tea is a green tea whose leaves are rolled and shaped like pellets. Traditional Moroccan tea is ceremonially poured from a height into a glass and not a cup and this creates foam. The process cools the tea, mixes the ingredients and helps digestion. Moroccan tea can also be called Maghrebi tea since it is consumed in the Greater Maghreb Region of Northern Africa.
From Quiz: So You Want to Be a Magical Tea
Answer: Richard Twining (1749-1824)
Richard Twining would take the helm of Twining in 1771, after his mother's death (she was Mary Twining, married to Thomas Twining's son, Daniel). He was able to persuade William Pitt, Prime Minister, to reduce the taxes on tea. This would make tea more available to everyone, not just the rich.
From Quiz: Ten Tan Tin Teas
Answer: Sausage rolls
Afternoon tea foods are formally served in order: sandwiches, then scones, then sweets. If a cake stand is used, the sandwiches are on the bottom tier, the scones in the middle, and the sweets on the top.
The addition of heartier foods such as sausage rolls transforms afternoon tea into high tea, which is a less formal occasion.
From Quiz: Please Pass the Sugar
Answer: Samovar
A samovar is a Russian device that is used to heat water to make tea. Its name derives from the Russian words for "self" and "meaning to boil" and can be loosely translated into English as "self-boiler". Traditionally the samovars were heated with coal or charcoal but the more modern ones are heated by electricity. In Russia the most common kind of tea prepared is called "Zavarka". This drink tends to be quite strong and drunk with milk and sweeteners. Some of the more traditional drinkers of zavarka place a sugar cube in their mouths while drinking it.
From Quiz: A Storm in a Teacup
Answer: Darjeeling
Darjeeling tea is named for a town in the northern section of the Indian state of West Bengal, close to the border of the other state of Sikkim to the north and the country of Nepal to the west. The tea produced in Darjeeling is often subdivided depending on the time of year that it was harvested. For example, 'first flush' is harvested in mid-March, and has a lighter flavour than the 'second flush' that is harvested in June.
Finding authentic Darjeeling tea is somewhat troublesome, with almost four times as much 'Darjeeling tea' sold annually than produced on the tea estates in Darjeeling that are allowed to brand their tea as such. While Darjeeling tea is typically prepared black, it is also available in green and oolong varieties.
From Quiz: Drink It Up!
Answer: Turkish tea
Turkish tea is traditionally prepared in a caydanlik, a two-kettle type instrument. The caydanlik contains water in the larger lower kettle, and tea is brewed with a small amount of water in the upper chamber. When serving, the strong, concentrated black tea from the top portion is poured into special glasses, and the lower half of hot water can be used to weaken each individual cup of tea to the drinker's desire. Cubes of beet sugar are used to sweeten the tea, which is typically drunk without milk of any sort.
From Quiz: What's Brewing in the Teapot?
Answer: PG Tips
PG Tips used to be called Pre-Gest-Tee, which meant you were supposed to drink it before your meal to aid digestion. Marketing tea as able to aid digestion was banned after World War II, so the name was changed to PG Tips. In 2007, Unilever, the owner of PG tips, made a promise to only use sustainable teas, and by 2012 they had achieved their goal.
From Quiz: Polly Put the Kettle on
Answer: Bergamot
Earl Grey (named after the 19th century British Prime Minister), with its full-bodied nature, is not for everybody. Hints of the citric Bergamot tempers the strength of the black tea to a certain extent yet simultaneously adds an aromatic element to the blend; the result is a beverage that is perhaps best described as an acquired taste.
One fictional fan of Earl Grey tea was Captain Jean-Luc Picard from 'Star Trek'; he could often be heard requesting "tea, Earl Grey, hot".
From Quiz: Tea: A Global Refreshment
Answer: White Tea
Commonly referred to as just Yinzhen or Silver Needle, Bai Hao Yinzen is considered to be the most expensive type of White Tea. The tea is derived from the most tender buds of the Da Bai or Great White tea tree in the Fujian province of China. When steeped, the tea creates a lightly caffeinated, yellowish colored beverage whose flavor is considered almost buttery. Some advertise Bai Hao Yinzhen as being an anti-carcinogenic, a claim that has yet to be confirmed scientifically.
From Quiz: Tea or Coffee?
Answer: Iran
This is one tea-drinking culture that does not require a spoon. The Iranians have a sweet tooth too. Together with a pot of tea, dates are also served.
From Quiz: My Cuppa Tea
Answer: At least 3000 years
The earliest references to tea drinking in China date back to the year 1000 B.C.E. During the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E to 220 C.E.), tea was widely regarded as a medicinal potion. By the time of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) tea drinking was widespread in China. In 760 C.E., the Chinese writer Lu Yu wrote the 'Cha Jing', a comprehensive book about tea, in which he describes how the tea plants were grown, harvested, and processed, and how tea was prepared. It even rates different teas, and describes where the best teas were grown. Back then tea was very different from the tea we drink today. The processed tea leaves were compressed into brick-like form. In order to make tea, one had to grind the tea brick into powder with a pestle and mortar. Either hot water was added to the powdered tea, or the powdered tea was boiled in earthenware kettles. It was then whisked and served in large, shallow bowls resembling soup plates.
From Quiz: Everything Stops for Tea
Answer: Lu Dong
Lu Dong, a Daoist priest of 8th century Tang China, was so inspired by a poem by Chinese poet Lu Yu (called the 'Chajing') that he decided to spend his entire life looking for the perfect tea preparation!
From Quiz: Questions on Tea
Answer: Mate or Yerba mate
The Guarani and Tupi people used the leaves and stems of yerba mate, a plant of the holly family found in South American rainforests, to make mate, an infusion that became the traditional drink of Latin America. It is made by filling a hollow calabash gourd 3/4 of the way with yerba mate, adding hot water and then using a silver or stainless-steel straw called bombilla to drink the liquid. It is very bitter, caffeine-rich and it is supposed to boost energy, improve physical performance and help in losing weight.
From Quiz: So You Want to Be a Magical Tea
Answer: 1787
Richard Twining had the commercial logo created, and it was mounted on the front of the coffee house. In addition to the logo, a lion (The Golden Lyon was the name given to the tea house in 1717) and two Chinese men (representing the tea trade with China) were also added to the storefront.
From Quiz: Ten Tan Tin Teas
