Tea statistics: the Chinese scenario.

Tea in China dates back to some five thousand years ago, when Emperor Shen Nung accidentally discovered “tea” in 2737 bc as some Camellia blossom/ leaves drifted into his cup of boiled drinking water. The inquisitive emperor drank the brew and found it refreshing. Thus, the legacy of drinking tea in China began. During the reign of Qin Dynasty (3rd century bc), tea was considered as a common drink that became widely popular during the Tang Dynasty. It was during this time when tea entered Korea and Japan. Subsequently, tea spread to other nations of the world. Today, China grows tea in more than ten thousand holdings, and has the largest variety of tea found in any other country. The Chinese also mastered the art of preparing different types of tea. Some of the notable types of Chinese tea include Green tea, White tea, Oolong tea, Black tea, Smoked Black tea (a type of green tea), etc. Tea growing areas in China are located mainly on the eastern part of the country (Shandong, Anhui, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan, Sichuan and Guangdong) and currently produce almost 1500 million kg of tea a annualy.