That's right... the tea bag is 100 years old this week. Can you believe it? Yet the typically English tea bag was actually invented by an American. New York merchant Thomas Sullivan confused his customers in 1908 by sending out samples of tea leaves in small silk purses. Unsure what to do with the strange little bags, the Americans dunked them in a cup of hot water... and the tea bag was born. Amid complaints that the silk mesh was too fine, Sullivan later developed sachets made from gauze. A major breakthrough came in 1930 when William Hermanson of Boston patented the heat-sealed paper fibre tea bag. For years they were viewed with suspicion in Britain, it was not until 1953 that they caught on over here. Here are some facts about the cuppa...
- The average tea bag contains 3.125 grams of tea
- There are only 2.5 grams of tea in a continental tea bag
- 98% of people take their tea with milk, but only 30% take sugar
- Tea is a natural source of fluoride which helps protect against tooth decay and gum disease
- A cup of tea contains about half as much caffeine as a cup of coffee
- Tea has potential health benefits in cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention
- There are 2,000 perforations in the average tea bag
- A tea bag used once and refrigerated helps reduce puffiness if placed on the eyes
- Almost every conceivable shape of tea bag has been patented, including cylindrical
- To make a proper cup of tea, pour boiling water on to the tea bag and put milk in last
