Let's Talk about Tea
Our coffee and gelato get all the fame and glory, but I’d argue that our tea is the hidden gem of Iorio’s. First of all, we’re committed to having a type of tea for everyone, whether it’s green or black tea for our more caffeinated friends, white tea, or herbal tea. Moreover, just like our gelato flavors, we’re always changing up our tea options to keep things interesting.
Here are 5 little known facts about tea:
Origins: The English are known for their love of tea, but tea can actually trace its beginning back to ancient China. Legend has it that Emperor Shen Nong discovered tea in 2737 BCE when a light breeze caused a leave to blow into his boiling water. The rest is history.
Keep it in the Family: Most tea comes from the same plant called camellia sinensis. The exception to this is herbal tea, which isn’t technically tea at all!
An accidental tea bag?: Some say an American named Thomas Sullivan accidentally invented the tea bag in 1904, when he sent his customers tea in silk sachets. They didn’t know what to do with them, so they dunked the entire sachet in hot water and found it worked rather well. However, two women, Roberta C. Lawson and Mary Molaren from Wisconsin, actually invented an earlier version of the tea bag back in 1901, though few recognize their efforts.
Expensive Fertilizer: The most expensive tea in the world is grown in China, where panda feces is used to fertilize the tea bushes. A cup of this tea costs roughly $200!
Mosquito repellent: Wet some tea leaves and apparently the aroma will keep mosquitos away! I’m a little skeptical, so I’ll be sure to try this tactic this summer.