The Most Consumed Beverage In The World, Second To Water

It's no surprise that water is the most consumed beverage in the world, but the second most popular drink is also made of mostly water. Based on legend from ancient China in which an emperor drank hot water that dried camellia leaves had accidentally fallen into, humans have been drinking tea since early 2700 BC. Although tea cultivation and traditions originated in Asia, it's difficult to overstate the impact that British and Dutch colonization had on tea's popularity through trade routes importing tea from China in the 1600's, and later in the 1800's via British colonization of India. You may think of the British as the ultimate connoisseurs of tea, but Turkey drinks the most tea out of any other country, followed by Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Tea provides caffeine and some health benefits, but it's often more significant than just a beverage. Preparing, serving, and drinking tea is a major part of many cultures around the world, like mint tea in Morocco and green tea in Japan, and serves as both a way to maintain cultural traditions as well as provide an opportunity to socialize. Drinking tea can be a complete experience on its own, either as a relaxing ritual after dinner sipping on calming chamomile tea before bed, or a grand, fancy afternoon of high tea at a luxury hotel with all the sandwiches and petit fours you can dream of. But the basic act of brewing tea itself is simple, and at its core is no more complicated than pouring boiling water over dried leaves and letting them steep for a few minutes.

Caffeinated teas provide an energy boost that's usually less intense than coffee due to tea's generally lower caffeine content per serving. The amount of caffeine can vary, of course, depending on the type of tea and brewing method, but compared to drip coffee or espresso, teas tend to have less caffeine. The most common types of caffeinated tea include black, green, oolong, white, rooibos, matcha, mate, and pu-erh. Six of the most popular types of caffeinated tea all originate from one type of plant, Camellia Sinensis. The buds and leaves of the plant are picked and dried and occasionally fermented for Pu-erh tea.

Not all tea contains caffeine, however, and there are countless types of herbal tea that can be served warm to soothe or iced to refresh. While they are technically herbal infusions and not true tea brewed from tea leaves, many people use the term tea for both beverages. The most typical teas are made from dried leaves, but tea can take many forms, as you can essentially turn almost anything into a tea by steeping it in boiling water, like fresh ginger or even grains of barley. Some teas can be made from whole flowers, which look stunning when they are rehydrated and bloom back into life in a glass teapot. Expand your palate by trying one of these 10 unique tea flavors from around the world.