The document provides information about the origins and cultivation of tea. It discusses how tea leaves are picked and processed, and the major types of tea like black, green, oolong, and white tea. It also covers iced tea, tea culture, major tea consuming regions, different types of tea pots and cups, reasons for drinking tea including health benefits, and examples of tea consumption and preparation routines.

1. I PITY THE FOOL WHO DON’T LIKE TEA!

3. Origins of teaThe actual origins of tea aren’t quite known but it is believed to have originated from northeast India, north Burma, southwest China or Tibet. The harvesting and selling of tea began hundreds of years ago in China and the Chinese buddists spread it to Japan and Korea. It was not until the 1800 that the Chinese started to trade tea to the western world.

4. Cultivating tea leavesThe tea plant is an evergreen of the Camellia family a is prepared in a variety of ways but collecting the tea leaves is the same. In China and India the tea leaves are hand picked off the branch and left out to dry. Once they are dried they are then finely cut up and blended.Only the top 2 inches are picked from the tea plant. For green tea it is left out for a shorter period of time than black tea.

5. Howteabags aremadeThe black tea is collected and put intofilteredbags which are also known as manila hemp: whereas green tea can be bought in bags or just on its own.

6. Types of teaBLACK TEA is the most popular tea that is used widely over the world. Boiled water and milk is usually added to make he tea and some like to add sugar and serve along with biscuits or cakesGREEN TEA is more popular in countries such as China and Japan. It is served in a small porcelain bowl usually on it own as a refreshment drink OOLONG TEA is very popular in Chinese restaurants. It is brewed to be very strong and sweet but has a bitter after taste.WHITE TEA is created using the buds that are sun dried or dies by steaming and is in some ways similar tasting to green tea.

7. Iced TeaIced tea is probably my favourite form of tea. It is commonly served in a tall glass full of ice and can come with a wedge of lemon or fruit such as raspberry or peach in it. This makes iced tea very sweet. It is brewed with a lower temperature water and can be brewed by leaving tea leaves / tea bags in the sun along with colder water for 2 – 5 hours. It is drank all over the world and is also known as sun dried tea.

8. Tea cultureIn general people consume tea to become more alert during the day as tea contains caffeine.It is the main drink for high class events like large garden parties.For many cultures it is a focal point for social gatherings, once some one is in anther persons house the first thing they do is offer that person a cup of tea.

9. Tea consumersOne of the main consumers of tea is Afghanistan, they drink green tea as a refreshing drink and black tea for a comforting drink. Tea is also their national drink. The Chinese, Japanese and Korean are more fond of green tea which they drink using a small bowl. In the U.K black tea is favoured over the rest and is served either with just boiled water or with boiled water and a dash of milk. Russia and Morocco are also large consumers of black tea but prefer it without any milk or sugar.

10. Tea potsWhen teapots were first invented they were made from ceramic, nowadays they are made from a variety of materials such as porcelain and metal. Electric kettles are the more common way of heating the water to make tea however some cultures still prefer using and teapot and a fire.

11. Tea cupsJust like teapots, tea cups also come in a variety of style and are commonly made out of ceramic or tempered glass. They're are also very expensive cups that are created from porcelain. Some tea cups also come with a saucers but the larger tea mugs generally don’t.

12. Why do we drink tea ?HealthOne of the reasons so many of us consume tea is that we believe it is good for our health, it has been proven to prevent cardiovascular diseases in animals but not in humans. It has been proven that tea leaves contain fluoride, amino acids and vitamins C,E and K.SocialTea drinking is a very social activity, it bring people together from within their homes to people meeting with friends in cafes around the world.RelaxationPeople also drink tea because they generally just enjoy a good ‘cuppa’. They think of nothing better than putting their feet up after a tedious days work and enjoying their favourite tea.

13. What we have with tea

14. Tea in my houseTea would be one of the main drinks consumed within my house, there are four of us in the house (mother, father, little brother and me) and we all drink tea at least twice a day.We all like our tea the same way, black tea with a dash of milk.We usually drink tea together in the morning during breakfast and at night with supper.

15. Tea Timetable7:30 am- tea along with breakfast (cereal and toast)12:30pm- tea with lunch or in café in university campus4:00pm- tea with a couple of biscuits10:00pm- tea along with supper (usually toast)

16. PreparationStep 1:Fill kettle with waterStep 2:Get favourite cup from the cupboardStep 3:Get teabag from cupboardStep 4:Put teabag in cup Step 5:Get milk from the fridgeStep 6:Once water has boiled, pour into cupStep 7:Stir then remove teabagStep 8: Pour desired amount of milk into cupStep 9:Enjoy!