Tea: A Global Refreshment Trivia Quiz

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.

Answer: Darjeeling

Darjeeling is such a well known variety of tea that it was one of the first of the Indian teas in line to become protected under the Geographical Indications of Goods Act (India's version of the widespread international law that protects products such as Gruyere and Tequila).

The geographical indication status means that only the musky leaves grown in West Bengal can be called Darjeeling.

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".

Answer: Lady Grey

Lady Grey, a blend created by the English brand Twinings, is a modern version of the classic Earl Grey. To keep the similar varieties of tea part of the same family so to speak, the modern variant was named after Earl Grey's wife, Lady (Mary Elizabeth) Grey. The addition of another pungent flavour in the form of lavender makes the blend just as polarising as its more traditional counterpart when it comes to personal taste.

Given that the tea was first brewed in the 1990s, Lady Grey isn't particularly well known but 'Wikipedia' suggests that the blend has developed a loyal following in the Scandinavian countries of northern Europe.

Answer: Ceylon

It is typically the case that teas that originate from the Asian nation of Sri Lanka find themselves categorised as a Ceylon blend, a nod to the country's previous name. Over the course of the 20th century, Sri Lanka frequently found itself one of the top five producers (as well as exporters) of tea in the world with black, green and white varieties hitting the shelves of shops across many continents.

In the latter part of the 20th century, the USSR (later Russia and newly created independent countries in eastern Europe) was particularly enamoured with Ceylon tea; over a third of Sri Lankan tea exports in that period headed to the aforementioned nations.

Answer: Green

Gunpowder is a variety of green tea that is grown in an eastern province of China and its pellet-like appearance is achieved by rolling the leaves into small spheres. Production of this variety of tea is recorded as far back as the 7th century and nearly 1400 years later, the pleasant and refreshing taste of Gunpowder tea (known as Lo Chu Ch'a in some parts of China) is still being enjoyed by consumers.

Answer: Lapsang Souchong

Lapsang souchong, much like Earl Grey, is a "love it or hate it" variety of tea. Lapsang souchong is produced in Fujian province, China, by drying out tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) via a smoking process that makes use of pine wood. As the leaves dry out, the smoky essences that emanate from the burning pine get "locked" into the product.

The taste of this Chinese black tea can't really be compared to any other type of tea and if you haven't prepared yourself for the smoky onslaught, it can be quite overwhelming.

The recommended steep time for lapsang souchong is in the range of two to three minutes according to the Red Blossom Tea Company and three to five minutes according to Twinings.

Answer: Lotus

Nelumbo nucifera is commonly known as the Indian lotus, or just lotus, and is the plant that is used to flavour the variety of tea known as Vietnamese lotus tea. Depending on which scenting process is used, lotus tea leaves produce beverages that are rather strong and so the 'Art of Tea' website suggests a short steep time of approximately three minutes.

In Vietnam, lotus tea is usually brewed for consumption at special occasions and, given its strength, the same leaves are typically used multiple times.

Answer: Sencha

Sencha is a common variety of Japanese green tea that is brewed with tea leaves that are dried but not ground into a powder; this contrasts with matcha, another example of Japanese green tea, which is both dried and milled. Green tea is preferred to black tea in Japan and sencha is, more often than not, the variety of choice.

As with most teas, there is a difference in the final product when the age of the leaf used is taken into consideration. With sencha, the age of the leaf shows up in the colour of the brewed product; the younger the leaf, the more golden yellow the beverage.

Answer: They are chilled teas

The three beverages in question are international examples of chilled teas, or iced teas (the Austrian 'Eistee' and Malaysian 'teh ais' being phonetically similar to the English name). According to the Tea Association of the USA, "approximately 85% of tea consumed in America is iced", no doubt a lot of it guzzled in the warmer regions of the country!