Favorite teas of kings and queens
The history of tea lasted over 5000 years. It was the favorite drink of many people, including those known to us.
Since tea began as a healing drink during the reign of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, not a single day of our life is complete without a glass that we drink with family and loved ones.
Tea is rich in its history. Tea is also very closely associated with the drink of kings and queens, thanks to Great Britain, which is not surprising because, in Europe, it became famous thanks to the queen.
People have always been interested in the personal lives of rulers. They seem so inaccessible to us that any detail about their lives makes them more honest people in our eyes, especially true of rulers from the past, about whom we know only from history textbooks from the school curriculum.
Let’s touch these people a little and find out what he was like -the favorite tea of kings.
Elizabeth II
Let’s start with the queen, who still pleases us with her presence on the throne, and her constant habit of drinking Earl Grey. Not the most popular option among young people, but it is not unexpected that an unaltered, even traditional, classic remains popular among adults.
Black tea infused with oil extracted from the bergamot fruit is known as Earl Grey tea.
The tale behind how it came into existence is fascinating. The tea after Earl Charles Gray served as Great Britain’s Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834. The count’s sailors saved the son of a particular Chinese mandarin, and he, deciding to thank Gray, sent him some of this tea is an unofficial version, but it is the most popular. The arrangement may be untrue since black tea was in India then, and bergamot practically does not grow in China.
But the point is not in the legends but the benefits and significance of bergamot in this tea. Bergamot gives the tea a bright and juicy citrus aroma. But this is not its primary benefit.
Bergamot removes slags, toxins, and heavy metals from the body quickly and efficiently—aids in weight loss, cognitive function, and eye health. A drink with bergamot is helpful for those who suffer from high cholesterol. It reduces its level. Reduces blood glucose levels. But it should bear in mind that this happens when you regularly drink tea with bergamot in your diet, which the queen does throughout her life.
Cold, or its prevention in the cold season, tea with bergamot works as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent. The queen drinks tea with a sweetener and a small amount of milk.
Emperor Heizei
Another tea lover was Emperor Heizei. It’s no secret that the Emperor loved Baihao white tea so much that he abandoned his state duties, which led to the invasion of the Mongol hordes in China.
A little story about white tea: written mentions of it appeared in the VII century, when the Song dynasty ruled, although it seemed much earlier. But this is easily explained by the fact that until the 7th century, it was used exclusively as a medicine. As soon as people realized it was worth consuming as a drink, it became a noble drink consumed by Buddhist monks, who initiated several tea ceremonies.
An interesting fact: before the reign of the Song Dynasty in China, they drank only powdered tea, but people realized that in this way, it was straightforward to get caught by cheaters who ground other plants together with tea. Then there was a ban on selling ground tea, and people learned to drink leaf tea, which allowed white tea to break out of purely medical use and migrate to tea mugs.
How did this tea make the Emperor fall in love with himself?
White tea is a weakly fermented tea (only 5-7%), the tea leaf of white tea stores natural tea as much as possible since it is from a white tea bud (hence the name). This tea is rightfully called the tea of youth and health. Thanks to this, tea is not subjected to heat treatment during production and retains the maximum amount of valuable properties.
White tea contains vitamins B, C, PP, trace elements, amino acids, and many other valuable substances. White tea contains much less caffeine than different types of tea, so you can drink it at any time of the day, and it is not fraught with consequences for your nervous system.
With the desire to touch the lives of Great historical figures, we often face disappointment (and maybe relief), but in a good way. And all because they turn out to be ordinary people with the joys of life quite accessible to us. Like, for example, Elizabeth II has been devoted to her Earl Grey for several decades and carries tea with her around the world.
Another joy we can experience in this life is drinking tea, which, in today’s world, is accessible to everyone, irrespective of their social standing or financial circumstances. Tea is a thread that runs through the homes of billions of inhabitants of the planet and connects them with one shared love.
