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Rankedasthenumberonebeverageconsumedworldwide,teatakestheleadovercoffeeinboth popularityandproductionwithmorethan5millionmetrictonsofteaproducedannually.Althoughmuchofthisteais consumed inAsian,European,andAfricancountries,theUnitedStatesdrinksitsfairshare.AccordingtoestimatesbytheTeaCounciloftheUnitedStates,teaisenjoyedbynolessthanhalfoftheU.S.populationonanygivenday.Blackteaorgreentea–iced,spiced,orinstant–teadrinkinghasspurredabillion-dollarbusinesswithmajorteaproducers inAfricaandSouth AmericaandthroughoutAsia.

Teaismadefromtheleavesofanevergreenplant,Camelliasinensis,whichgrowstallandlushintropical regions.Onteaplantation,theplantiskepttrimmedtoapproximately fourfeethighandasnewbudscalled flushappear,theyarepluckedoffbyhand.Evenintoday’sworldofmodernagriculturalmachinery,handharvestingcontinuestobethepreferredmethod. Ideally,onlythetoptwoleavesandabudshouldbepicked.Thisnew growthproducesthehighestqualitytea.

Afterbeingharvested,tealeavesarelaidoutonlongdryingracks,calledwitheringracks,for18to20hours.Duringthis process,theteasoftensandbecomeslimp.Next,dependingonthetypeofteabeing produced,theleavesmaybecrushedor choppedtoreleaseflavor,andthenfermentedundercontrolledconditionsofheatandhumidity.Forgreentea,thewhole leavesareoftensteamedtoretaintheirgreen color,andthefermentationprocessisskipped.Producingblackteasrequiresfermentationduringwhichthetealeavesbegintodarken.Afterfermentation,blackteaisdriedinvatstoproduceitsrichbrownorblackcolor.

Nooneknowswhenorhowteabecamepopular,butlegendhasitthatteaasabeveragewasdiscoveredin 2737B.C.byEmperor Shen Nungof China whenleavesfromaCamelliadropped into hisdrinkingwaterasitwasboilingoverafire.Asthestorygoes,EmperorShenNungdranktheresultingliquidandproclaimed thedrinktobemostnourishingandrefreshing.Thoughthisaccountcannotbedocumented,itisthoughtthatteadrinkingprobablyoriginatedinChinaand spreadtootherpartsofAsia,thentoEurope,andultimatelytoAmericacoloniesaround1650.

Withabouthalfthecaffeinecontentascoffee,teaisoftenchosenbythosewhowanttoreduce,butnotnecessarilyeliminatetheircaffeineintake.Somepeoplefindthatteaislessacidicthancoffeeandthereforeeasieronthestomach.Othershave become interestedinteadrinkingsincetheNationalCancerInstitutepublisheditsfindingson theantioxidantpropertiesof tea.Butwhetherteaisenjoyedfor itsperceivedhealthbenefits,itsflavor,orasasocialdrink,teacupscontinuetobefilleddailywiththeworld’smostpopularbeverage.

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