International Tea Day: 5 lesser-known facts about your favourite beverage

Guwahati: “Wherever you are in the world, when you sip your cup of tea in the morning, it's most likely from the lush tea gardens of Assam", Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X on the occasion of International Tea Day, held each year on May 21.

"Celebrating our tea garden workers and their hard work, which we are committed to incentivize", he wrote, adding a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a tea plantation in Assam. International Tea Day aims to raise awareness about the cultural and economic significance of tea. To celebrate the occasion, we bring some interesting facts that any tea lover must know:

Did you know that it takes around 2,000 tiny leaves to make half a kilogram of tea?

There are around 3,000 different types of tea, and it is the second most popular beverage in the world, after water.

According to legend, tea was discovered by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung in 2737 BC when leaves from a wild tree fell into his bowl of boiling water, and he drank it, discovering tea.

All teas like black tea, white tea, green tea, oolong tea come from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis. They taste, look, and smell different only because of the difference in the method of processing.

Tea was used as medicine for centuries before it became a daily drink.

Assam's Tea Connection:

Assam in India's Northeastern region is world-famous for its tea contributions globally. According to reports, India is the world's second-largest producer of tea, following China. Meanwhile, Assam alone contributes 52 percent of the country's total tea production.

In 1823, Robert Bruce discovered wild tea plants growing in the upper Brahmaputra Valley. In 1833, the British colonial government established a tea garden in what was then known as the Lakhimpur district.

Assam now produces approximately 700 million kg of tea annually, accounting for roughly half of India's total tea production. The state also generates annual foreign exchange revenues of around Rs 3,000 crore. Overall, India produces 23 percent of the world's tea output and employs over 1.2 million people in the tea plantation business.

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