What could be more refreshing on a hot summer day than an icy-cold glass of tea? That’s why June was chosen as National Iced Tea month. On any given day, more than half of the American population drinks tea. The South and Northeast have the greatest concentration of tea drinkers. In 2015, U.S. tea imports were approximately 285 million pounds, with an estimated wholesale value of approximately $11.5 billion dollars.
Tea is nearly 5,000 years old. It was discovered in 2737 BC by Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung, also known as the “Divine Healer,” when as legend goes, some tea leaves accidentally blew into the Emperor’s pot of boiling water.
One of the most reported iced-tea stories came from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair when Richard Blechynden, director of the East India pavilion, became frustrated as he tried to offer samples of hot tea under the simmering Missouri sun. In an attempt to boost consumption, he circulated and chilled the tea through a series of lead pipes immersed in ice. The resulting cool, refreshing beverage was a hit with fair goers, and the iced drink became popular throughout the United States. In fact, about 85 percent of the tea served in the United States is iced tea.