During the hottest periods of the year, a wide range of refreshing beverages are available in the market. However, you are health-conscious and looking for a healthier alternative to sugary processed drinks. In that case, tea can be a great option. It not only helps in balancing your diet but also provides a friendly way to do so.
I am a fan of drinking tea, hot or cold. Therefore, I recommend looking at this noble product from the East and the result of the infusion of the leaves and buds of the tea plant Camellia sinensis, which has gone from being a simple food item today.
After water, tea is the second most consumed beverage.
It is traditional to drink it as a hot or cold beverage, which is a refreshing and fun way to hydrate on days when high temperatures can cause us to lose electrolytes.
In addition, it keeps us in shape.
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Growth in Consumption
World tea production amounts to more than $18 billion annually, and about 13 million people work in tea production globally.
An estimated nine million tea growers are smallholders in the four major producing countries (China, India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka).
Figures show that the world’s consumption of hot tea tends to increase. In 2022, just over 6.5 billion kilograms of this beverage were consumed globally, and by 2028, consumption is expected to exceed 7.6 billion.
In the United States, iced tea accounts for approximately 85% of all consumed.
Iced teas became famous in 1904, during the World Exposition in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, founded by Richard Blechynden, owner of a tea leaf plantation. Given the high temperatures during the exposition, Blechynden offered visitors hot tea with an ice cube to cool it down. This is the origin of the famous “Iced Tea.”
This beverage can be iced, depending on the consumer’s taste.
It is better to prepare it at home with any pure or flavored tea leaves (black, green, white) and mixtures of herbs or spices such as chamomile, valerian, cinnamon, or vanilla.
Ideally, it is prepared at night and enjoyed the next day. This method is longer, but it achieves greater concentration and flavor.
Benefits of Tea
Besides being a refreshing drink, iced tea helps keep the body hydrated, improves the immune system due to its Vitamin C content, detoxifies, purifies, and improves antioxidant levels, preventing aging. Due to its low caffeine content, it is ideal for children, pregnant women, or being consumed at night.
With certainty, the growing wave of sustaining a healthy life and diet will be the pulse that marks that this market continues to gain strength as a substitute for carbonated beverages because, despite its age, it is still considered a sophisticated and quality product, that will surely continue to stand out for a great consumption trend in the coming years.