Did you already know these tea facts?

Besides coffee, KoffiePiraat is also secretly a tea fanatic. And we are not the only ones: after water, tea is the most consumed drink in the world. In the Netherlands alone, 3.5 million liters of tea are drunk per day. Per person, this amounts to approximately 3 cups of tea per day. KoffiePiraat looked up the best facts about tea for you.

1. The same tea plant

There are approximately 1,500 different types of tea, but all types of tea come from the same tea plant! The shrub - Camellia sinensis - has its origins in Southeast Asia. The young shoots of this shrub are used to produce tea. The difference in the types of tea is in the processing of the leaves. For example, black tea is fully oxidized in the process, while green tea is not oxidized but steamed. This preparation ensures that the tea has a different taste. With fruit tea or Earl Grey, the flavors are added in a later process.

2. Caffeine in tea

Did you know that tea also contains caffeine? Now you shouldn't immediately switch from coffee to tea, because the caffeine content is a lot lower. The amount of caffeine depends on the type of tea, the strength of the drink and of course the size of the cup or mug. On average, a cup of tea contains 30 milligrams of caffeine in a cup of 125 milliliters. Green tea has the least caffeine. The only exception to the rule is herbal tea, which does not contain caffeine.

3. Herbal tea is not tea

Herbal tea is not actually tea at all. The tea-like, warm drink is not made from leaves of the tea bush. Herbal tea is made from various herbs with completely different properties. Because herbal tea does not contain caffeine or tannic acid, people who are sensitive to these substances can drink herbal tea just before going to bed without staying awake.

4. Get rid of nasty odors

Tea is very good at absorbing odors. For example, it can be useful to wash your hands with tea after cutting onion or garlic. Tea can also help with bad odors in a refrigerator or trash can. Place a used, dry tea bag on a saucer and put it in the right place. This bag absorbs the bad odors immediately. If you don't have a used tea bag at hand. Coffee grounds also help with bad odors.

5. Tea won the battle against beer

Europe has a special history with tea. The Netherlands and Portugal were the first countries to bring tea to Europe. However, tea became most popular in England. In 1800, tea became so popular that people started drinking less beer. Three quarters of the breweries got into such trouble that year that they went bankrupt!