On February 20, 2018 I started Tea Trivia Tuesday on Instagram to share some “tea love” with other tea lovers like myself. I hadn’t started my blog, it was a distant dream at this point. I had only been on Instagram for a month and did not have very many followers, mostly just friends and family.

I started off by giving away tea samples that I had at home. I had a few unopened samples from Teavana that I gave away first. That first week, only ONE PERSON entered. After that, I gave away an ounce or two from my personal tea stash! I even gave away a couple samples I got from my Adagio orders and a tea or two from my Sipsby Box! It would be two months before I received my first donation for trivia. After that, I was on a roll! And my weekly #teatriviatuesday became one of my favorite posts of the week!

I thoroughly enjoy putting trivia together each week. I learn a lot and I know my followers are learning a lot with me. I look forward to sharing more tea trivia throughout 2019 and into the future!

**If you are a tea company interested in donating a couple samples for Trivia please contact me!

Facts About Tea

(facts are listed in the order that I posted them on Instagram)
1. Question: Legend has it that tea was discovered by Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2737 BCE. What is that legend?
Answer: While there are MANY legends surrounding the discovery of tea, this is the one I have always heard. According to a Chinese legend, tea was discovered accidentally by emperor Shen-Nung approximately 3,000 years before Christ as follows: The emperor set up camp with his entourage in the shade of a large tree. A fire was made and a pot with boiling water was prepared. The heat of the fire brought some of the leaves of the long branches of the tree to dry out. Suddenly, a fierce wind got up and blew some of the leaves into the pot with boiling water. The water turned golden and a delicious scent appeared. The emperor tried the drink and was delighted by the scent and delicious taste. Being immediately aware of the refreshing and invigorating effect, the emperor let out the sound “T’sa”, meaning godlike so that, until today, “cha” is the name for tea in Chinese.

2. QUESTION: What is the purpose of a steeper basket and why is it recommended over a tea ball?
Answer: infuser baskets are larger than tea balls allowing the leaves room to grow and expand as they brew. This produces a better quality tea.

3. QUESTION: What Tea is named for a British Prime Minister? 
Answer: Earl Grey- named for Charles Grey. He was Prime Minister from 1830-1834…he loved his tea! Earl Grey tea derives its special flavor from bergamot.

4. QUESTION: What is the art of reading tea leaves called? 
Answer: the art of reading tea leaves is called tasseography.

5. QUESTION: What is the special name for when Tea leaves uncurl as hot water is poured over them? 
Answer: the special name for when Tea leaves uncurl as hot water is poured over them is “the agony of the leaves”.

6. QUESTION: What Japanese Green Tea is made with roasted brown rice?
Answer: Genmaicha

7. QUESTION: The First Flush is defined as the very first plucking of a tea plant’s harvest season. What months are included in the first flush?
Answer: The First Flush is from February-April.

8. QUESTION: What tea is known as “The Champagne of Teas”?
Answer: The Champagne Of Teas is DARJEELING.

9. QUESTION: What is the name of traditional Japanese teapots specifically designed to brew green tea? 
ANSWER: Kyusu

10. QUESTION: How many years does it take for a tea bush to grow and be ready for harvesting? 
ANSWER: It takes about 2 years before the plant is mature enough for tea plant harvesting, and about 5 years for the plant to really become a tea leaf producer.

11. QUESTION: Who is credited for inventing the tea bag?
ANSWER: Thomas Sullivan.

12. QUESTION: What is the only beverage, world wide, that is consumed more than tea? 
ANSWER: The only beverage consumed more than tea is WATER.

13. QUESTION: Which tea gets its distinctive flavor from being smoked over a fire?
ANSWER: Lapsang Souchong

14. QUESTION: What are the two main varieties of the Camellia Sinensis plant and where are they found?
ANSWER: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis found in China and C. Sinensis var. assamica found in Assam, India.

15. QUESTION: Which Indian Tea is the base for Irish Breakfast Tea?
ANSWER: Assam

16. QUESTION: What is the estimated percentage of tea consumed in the United States that is iced tea? 
ANSWER: it is estimated that 85% of tea that is consumed in the United States is iced tea.

17. QUESTION: Who wrote “Ch’a Ching”, the very first book on tea written in the 8th century? 
ANSWER: Lu Th wrote “Ch’a Ching”.

18. QUESTION: What TYPE of plant is the Camellia Sinensis plant?
ANSWER: the Camellia Sinensis plant is an Evergreen Shrub.

19. QUESTION: Who is credited for creating Afternoon Tea in 1840?
ANSWER: Anna, Duchess of Bedford, is credited for creating Afternoon Tea in 1840.  She began taking tea with a light snack around 4pm to ward off “that sinking feeling”.

20. QUESTION: What is a traditional Japanese tea ceremony called?
ANSWER: Chanoyu

21. QUESTION: What is a Gaiwan and what is it used for?
ANSWER: a Gaiwan is a small bowl, lid, and saucer used to make traditional teas. 

22. QUESTION: Why is it important to use fresh water when making tea?
ANSWER: Boiling the water twice will affect the taste of a good tea therefore only freshly boiled water is used for brewing tea. Water is known to contain dissolved gases absorbed from the air. Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas that is present in water affects the acidity.

23. QUESTION: What are the two words for tea and what are their origins?
ANSWER: There are two different words for tea: te-derived (Min, a historical Chinese language) and cha-derived (Cantonese and Mandarin). The word a specific country uses for tea reveals where the country first acquired its tea.

24. QUESTION: Why is it important to store tea in a sealed tin or jar?
ANSWER: it is important to keep tea in a sealed her to keep the tea fresh and avoid oxidation.

25. QUESTION: What tea has the longest oxidation process? And the shortest oxidation process?
ANSWER: Black tea has the longest oxidation process and white tea has the shortest.

26. QUESTION: Where in China are the worlds oldest tea trees?
ANSWER: Yunnan Province, China

27. QUESTION: What is the highest grade of Matcha Green Tea?
ANSWER: Ceremonial Grade Matcha is the highest grade.

28. QUESTION: What is the purpose of the first “rinse” of your tea leaves?
ANSWER: Rinsing tea helps to “awaken” the tea leaves which ensures maximum flavor.

29. QUESTION: What kinds of teas were Yixing Teapots originally made for?
ANSWER: Yixing pots were originally made for pu’ehr, oolong, and black teas.

30. QUESTION: What is the antioxidant in tea (green tea/Matcha) that is known for helping brain function?
ANSWER: Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and/or L-Theanine.

31. QUESTION: What is a tea pet?
ANSWER: Usually made from yixing clay, a tea pet, also known as a tea lover’s pet, is a small figure which is kept by some tea drinkers for good luck. Tea drinkers “feed” their tea pet hot water, the first rinse of a tea, and/or any leftover tea from a session.

32. QUESTION: What is the most expensive tea in the world?
ANSWER: Da Hong Pao Oolong. In 2002, a wealthy tea-collector paid almost $28,000, for just 20g of original Da Hong Pao. Legend has it that original Da Hong Pao tea has incredible medicinal value. The tea is believed to have cured the illness of the mother of a Ming Dynasty emperor, who then sent his men to find the origins of the tea.

33. QUESTION: Where is Ceylon Tea From
ANSWER: Ceylon tea is from Sri Lanka. Around 1824 the British brought a Chinese tea plant to Ceylon (which is what Sri Lanka was known as then).

34. QUESTION: What is the Chinese name for Dragonwell? 
ANSWER: The Chinese name for Dragonwell is Long Jing.

35. QUESTION: Should loose tea leaves be kept in the refrigerator to keep them fresh? Why? Why not?
ANSWER: Do not put tea in the refrigerator. The refrigerator will not help tea keep longer and the moisture can damage your tea. Loose leaf tea holds up best when it’s stored at room temperature out of direct light.

36. QUESTION: What is the most prized (but common) white tea?
ANSWER: Amongst white teas, Silver Needle is the most prized white tea, as only top buds (leaf shoots) of the camelia sinensis plant are used to produce the tea.

37. QUESTION: Bubble Tea began in the 1980’s in which country?
ANSWER: Bubble Tea began in the 1980’s in Taiwan.

38. QUESTION: Yixing Tea Pots date back to which Chinese Dynasty?
ANSWER: Yixing teapots date back to the Song Dynasty  960-1279. But much more evidence exists that the Yixing teapot became more common during the Ming Dynasty dating back to 1368-1644.

39. QUESTION: What are the 4 Japanese principles of tea? 
ANSWER: Wa Kei Sei Jaku (harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity) are the four principles of Chanoyu as left by tea master Sen Rikyu (1522-1591). They are the principles that practitioners of tea endeavor to integrate into their daily lives. These principles are a reflection of the pure spirit and soul of Sen Rikyu. While not a true zengo (Zen phrase) these four simple words can be realized after much practice.

40. QUESTION: Yerba Mate is a staple of Argentinian life. What is the name of the special “cup” it is served in?
ANSWER: The Yerba Mate gourd, known as cabaça, calabaza, cuia or porongo, is made from the fruit of a gourd vine.

41. QUESTION: A Kyusu was created to brew specifically what kind of tea?
ANSWER: A Kyusu Tea Pot is a traditional Japanese teapot mainly used for brewing green tea, most traditionally, Sencha Green Tea.

42. QUESTION: What is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum?
ANSWER: Kintsugi (金継ぎ, “golden joinery”), also known as Kintsukuroi (金繕い, “golden repair”), is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum.

43. QUESTION: Which countries used tea bricks as a form of currency?
ANSWER: Tea bricks have been used as a means of payment from 9th to 20th century in China, Mongolia, Siberia, Tibet, Turkmenistan and Russia.

44. QUESTION: Before the Quin Dynasty tea was not used as a drink. What was it used for?
ANSWER: Before the Quin Dynasty tea was not used primarily as medicine.

45. QUESTION: Happy Chinese New Year 🎉 Today is the new moon day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system. What animal will represent this coming year? 
ANSWER: 2019 is the year of the Pig.

46. QUESTION: Which Chinese Province is the main home of Puerh Tea?
ANSWER: Yunnan Province is the main home of Puerh Tea.

47. QUESTION: Were did Orange Pekoe tea get it’s name?
ANSWER: The origin of the word “pekoe” is uncertain. One explanation is that it is derived from the transliterated mispronunciation of the Amoy (Xiamen) dialect word for a Chinese tea known as “white down/hair” (白毫; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pe̍h-ho).

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