The Tea by Anna

The UK’s Most Searched for Tea Questions

To celebrate National Tea Day on Friday the 21st April, I sat down with Babingtons Blends owner and descendant of the original founders, Chiara Bedini, to answer a few of the UK's most googled and searched for questions about tea.

Where was tea invented?

Tea was discovered by pure chance 5000 years ago in China.

When were tea bags invented?

They were invented in the USA at the beginning of 1900 and became very popular in the ‘50s.

Where is tea produced?

Today tea is produced all over the world, but the major countries producing tea are China, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Africa. There are also a few tea plantations in Scotland, Wales, and England.

Why is tea good for you?

Tea is good for you if you drink quality tea. Because tea leaves contain polyphenols, vitamins, and fluorides. Tea leaves also contain caffeine which helps stay concentrated and relaxed at the same time. 

It’s especially good for you if you drink it without sugar and or milk and never drink boiling hot tea. 

Why is tea better than coffee?

Tea is not better than coffee. The difference is in the way caffeine is absorbed. Tea contains Theanine, an amino acid which regulates the absorption of caffeine, so when you drink coffee, you get a WoW effect as all the caffeine goes straight into a circle. 

When drinking tea, the caffeine is released more slowly giving us a sense of concentration and relaxation at the same time.

Are tea bags compostable and biodegradable?

Some are, some still aren’t. Babingtons Blends’ tea bags are 100% biodegradable.

Are tea bags good for the eyes?

Used tea leaves are good for many things, including for puffy eyes. Place damp and cooled tea leaves into a muslin bag and carefully place on your eyes or you can apply actual cooled down tea bags. Then simply lie down and relax whilst your eyes become instantly refreshed.

Are tea stains permanent?

Getting tea stains out can be a challenge – best to reach for a great stain remover product.

Which tea has the most caffeine?

Caffeine is present in all tea leaves. The quantity of caffeine depends very much on the tea plant the leaves come from. So, a black tea does not have more caffeine than a green or white tea. The more the quality is high, the less caffeine there is.

Are tea bags plastic free?

Not all of them are, for example some have plastic envelopes around them.

What tea is good for sleep, and will it keep me awake?

Tea contains caffeine and we all react differently to caffeine. Some of us can drink tea before going to bed and sleep perfectly. Others will drink tea at 3pm and not sleep well. 

It’s therefore very individual. If I drink tea in the afternoon, I will find it difficult to fall asleep. Generally speaking, I suggest herbal tea, with soothing ingredients such as chamomile flowers, linden flowers, lavender, and lemon balm. 

Which tea is good for bloating?

Try herbal tea with fennel.

What tea is good for a sore throat?

Usually, a lemon and ginger herbal tea with lots of honey!