36 Facts about Tea - mental_floss List Show Ep. 417

[@argella1300]

Man Queen Victoria was such a trendsetter. I mean helping popularize tea parties, wearing a white dress/gown to get married, celebrating Christmas the way we do (big decorated pine tree, exchanging gifts, etc.). Also, if you get invited to high tea at a fancy hotel, I highly recommend it. I went to one in Boston with my family last Christmas and it was great!

[@kenshuei]

I love how happy with yourself you are after making that pun

[@flyingfshsndwch]

"Attack at 4pm" that bit of information brought down the British empire.

[@Jonnie153]

LOL

[@ChimeSings]

+flyingfshsndwch No, it was attacking on Christmas eve that did it.

[@Cardboardboxy]

Ice-T pun*

[@maximkazhenkov11]

According to CGP Grey, the idea that "the best way to cool down on a hot summer day while confined to a non-airconditioned office is to drink hot tea" is absolute madness, and the rest of the world agrees.

[@coreydaniels3642]

flyingfshsndwch saqw

[@cru_bii]

#17 "My dear, you have the grim!" Oh you and your references.

[@Balthasar812]

Tisane is also the sound of my brain getting zapped with the revelation that half of my "teas" aren't teas at all. TISANE~*!

[@mattg944]

to be clear, if you're invited to tea in Constantinople, you'll be drinking in Istanbul.

[@Wingedshadowwolf]

+Matt G That's nobody's business but the Turks!

[@FasterthanLight11]

+Matt G Oh tank god you clarified I was afraid I would be drinking tea in Byzantium or Lygos.

[@kimohearn3087]

When I was in Iceland I asked for an iced tea and the clerk just looked at me funny. He said I know ice and I know tea but I do not know how they go together. I got a Sprite.

[@shirosenshiesq]

+Kim O'Hearn So you went to anotther country and assumed that on your command, they would produce something that was not on the menu. You must be American.

[@garethbaus5471]

@@shirosenshiesq I do that pretty frequently in my home country.

[@darthszarych5588]

When my dads ex girlfriend's family came to visit the USA from India, they were also unfamiliar with iced tea. I was surprized that they dont have iced tea in india because they drink a lot of tea there and it's hot so I thought they would ice it sometimes. If anyone reads this who is from india, do you drink iced tea?

[@paulgodwin2324]

​@@shirosenshiesq Could you imagine if Americans didn't go abroad and spread our knowledge, most the world would still be hunter gatherers with chariots. We just have a gift of enlightenment and engineering that never developed elsewhere !

[@gregman2013]

John is the best host of anything, ever.

[@HeroicConcepts]

Tea is life. -Superhero in training.

[@jimmyalvintollman3883]

+Heroic Concepts *goes to your channel*So ... you're not joking. Nice channel.

[@Joeobrown1]

Ahhh that giggle and spin, brilliant

[@ZiphiaZ]

Celsius is a quite good scale for temperature

[@Silkendrum]

In much of the US, to people and tea shoppes (who should know better), "tea" is any kind of dried leaf or rose hips or who knows what soaked in water, and "chai" is tea with a LOAD of strong spices added.

[@whatshisnamegain1]

The only right way to brew tea is so that it tastes good for you in the end. End of story.

[@KaiCalimatinus]

As a tea fanatic and stickler for a good brew, I have to agree. I know how I like it, and too strong for most so I wouldn't force that on anyone!

[@kimberlypatton9634]

True...when I make iced tea at home ( my "southern iced tea " family heirloom traditional way) I use 12 black tea bags in a guard of water , bring to a rolling boil, let sit 5 mins.put 1-1/2 cups sugar in a gallon container and pour hot tea into it..squeezing out bags with a spoon.i stir the hot tea/ sugar up to dissolve in container.Then I fill, squeeze out (rinsing teabags) 3 time total into it sugar mix 2 more time w clean water.Stir up and add water from tap to make up the gallon.The whole point is to still be able to taste the flavor of the Tea especially when plenty of ice is used in the glass, bc it will get watered down.It is so great freshly made and on a hot day I can down 2 or 3 glasses in a row.If you put in the fridge it will get cloudy and sweeter when cold.Add a sprig of garden mint and yay!Tip: if your iced tea mix become foamy when stirring add 1/2 tsp baking soda to dissipate the foam.

[@Crazface222]

John, you are jeopardising the special relationship between the UK and US. How uncivilised to attack a person during afternoon tea.

[@UltimateVegetto]

+Crazface Basically the plot of an Asterix-comic. :D

[@AspelShuyin]

Black Bart was also a crazy sociopath, and the most successful pirate ever with some 400 ships plunder. Ooh, can we get facts about pirates?

[@Micahcus]

That would be awesome

[@Micahcus]

I mean they did a misconceptions video about it but I wanna see facts

[@dissonanceofcircles5451]

I like a good pirate fact, arr.

[@TheLazyLiteratus]

This is a _great_ list, John. Everything was spot on, and I was overjoyed when you even included mention of the Hawkhurst gang. One small nitpick with Fact 04, though . . . There are SIX tea types. You forgot yellow tea.

[@carollois]

I was sipping my daily cup(s) of tea while watching this episode. I can't get through my morning without it!

[@IslaDrummond]

I haven't watched menopause in ages

[@MEver316]

I'm proud of you for coming back to menopause.

[@davidellis4031]

+Isla Drummond Pardon me for any misunderstanding, but can I ask if that is a joke or an autocorrect hilarity?

[@IslaDrummond]

It's a joke. I think when John started doing this a few people commented that they thought he was saying 'menopause' instead of mental floss. I haven't watched in ages, so that early memory is still the main thing I think of when I see mental floss.

[@davidellis4031]

Ah, understood - thanks for making a tiny part of this world less baffling!

[@largekfc630]

Anyone else drank tea while watching this video?

[@latenighter1965]

+MakePog actually the water is getting ready at this exact moment.

[@Azeele]

+AntsaG0 きんいちわ drinking peppermint tea at the moment, so actually I'm drinking a tisane :)

[@shriyaparmeshwaran7032]

me :P

[@sanityisrelative]

AntsaGG I actually made a cup while watching.

[@hilltopgypsy]

Nope, drinking a nice hot cup of very strong Colombian Supremeo coffee with a dash, a small dash, of chocolate syrup. Man oh man is it good. My wife of 42 years is the tea drinker. She'll drink coffee but ONLY if I make it. She's never figured out how to make a good cup of coffee.

[@dulcimerrafi]

Speaking of tea/food combinations, I find that Darjeeling tea and homemade pickles go well together for some reason.

[@manders76]

OMG, John's laugh at 3:28 is EVERYTHING

[@eustacia03]

Oh and the David Bowie tea story is super adorable. Apparently he was so flustered asking Iman out that he couldn't think of anything for them to do so he blurted out something about going for tea. Despite my general distaste for Lennon as a person, I'm rather on his side of the tea debate. MMmmmmmm tea.

[@TeaInTheMoment]

My name is Tea and I approve this video! So informative! Thanks guys!!!

[@JonReams]

I keep about 5 or 6 different teas on hand at any time. I sound like Ramona Flowers if I have someone over. Ti Kwan Yin, Shan Rock, Cincinnati Spice (local blend), Lapsang Souchong, Genmeicha, and Darjeeling are always on offer.

[@N.Sommerfeld]

Tea, the greatest of beverages. This is possibly my favourite Mental Floss video. Bravo John!

[@bronwenraza6176]

Genuine excitement after receiving this notification... Now people may say that I have a tea problem, but tea addicts know that a cup of tea solves all problems ;)

[@Murtie85]

Haha being Irish and hearing john green pronounce tea as "TAE" which is the way we say is hilarious!

[@mylittledashie7419]

4:00 On behalf of Glaswegians everywhere, I thank you for not pronouncing it "Glass-go" as so many others do.

[@PogieJoe]

+Vincent Freel John pronounced something correctly?? (o.o)

[@darthszarych5588]

Decaf iced tea or iced herbal tea without sugar is my go to drink when I dont want water. I also love fruit flavored seltzer/sparkling water..

[@TheJonOwen]

#11 tea initially pictured is Lady Grey not Earl Grey. Earl Grey doesn't traditionally have corn flower petals (esp. the Twining variety, Lady Grey also being a trademark of theirs). Hooray for tea pedantry!

[@KaiCalimatinus]

I was about to say the same. I love me some Lady Grey

[@smaxak]

I really appreciate your video, your explanations are plausible and convincing. Great efforts.

[@Liutgard]

100% Assam, STRONG and piping hot, with a spot of milk. It would make a dead man rise up and salute. And keeps my day going apace.

[@Explvcit]

haha!

[@SannyKuro]

indians like their CHAI ... i m sure india tops in tea consumption

[@johnhoffman5150]

yes

[@coughdrop01]

John getting tickled and spinning around in a circle for some reason made me laugh like a crazy person.

[@elementarywatson5345]

Oh, tea, how I love thee.

[@desimon2]

I love John's enjoyment and commitment to a Dad Joke....

[@Narnendil]

As a tea lover, this episode was one of the bests!!

[@nicolez11]

In arabic, all tea is also called chai (but pronounced like "shy").

[@LeJacqline]

Jasmine oolong is one of my all time favourites. I also worked in a large tea store for years so I knew most of this already.

[@sergiogarza2519]

That sounds amazing, I've never had both together but they're my favorite teas, along with white tea. I wish I had somewhere I could go for Jasmine Oolong, most places near me have very little selection past green tea and sweet tea because Texas. Do you know where I could buy some online that's good quality?

[@LeJacqline]

The store I worked for and the one I drink is from Teavana, they also have jasmine white tea as well along many other flavours

[@margaretwaite9765]

+Sergio Garza Hi Sergio, I 'm in Texas also so I know what you mean. I buy Celestial Seasonings teas, they don't contain what John said so... They are caffeine free and at times I will use 2 different kinds. Right now I'm using their Sleepy Time & Chamomile.

[@Ryan-vr6gz]

3:26 I feel like John is a little insane here, but he always is, so... :3 Like if you danced and laughed with him

[@jeffreyslott3883]

My favorite tea is of the green variety: genmaicha, a tea mixed with toasted brown rice... like what you would used to find in boxes of Post Rice Krinkles... without the added sugars, of course... (and a cereal that hasn't been around for a long, long time).

[@TubaBuddha]

Green Tea leaf cuttings added to boiling filtered water. let boil 3-4 minutes turn off power. Let sit 2 hours. Strain and place the liquid in the fridge. Place a portion of the liquid into the steel container, place in freezer. Take the steel container, add a cup of liquid tea, 1/2 teaspoon Matcha Ground Green Tea, and 2 ice cubes of Organic Lemon Juice and fill till near the neck of the container. A healthy tea for your day.

[@kd1s]

Regards the Boston Tea Party - you can see it re-enacted almost daily in Boston's Seaport district.

[@JakeMontes]

Not only did they feature my favourite tea in a picture (Twinings Irish Breakfast), but he also mentioned Zen Buddhist tea ceremonies, which I once took part in. I feel so knowledgeable and experienced. :P

[@slophat9296]

my family used to always drive by the teapot service station in Zilla WA on our way to my grandmother's house, we have photos of it from around 2008 I think. it made me happy to see it on this list!

[@abeamir5136]

Look what John wears today. A green tea-shirt :)

[@tara.5986]

Nice 👏👏

[@Niahc]

I wish restaurants would figure out that you cant make tea with lukewarm water. Then if you want more than one tiny sip of water they will offer you more lukewarm water to pour over the used teabag, and the whole disastrous experience costs $3 or more

[@WAQWBrentwood]

+1!

[@gilgermesch]

I wish they would also learn not to make green tea with boiling water...

[@fireincarnation2]

Also, selection is usually terrible.

[@zeromailss]

thats happen to me once and I ask the waitress to boil the water,seems like they use microwave and it came out really hot its still not that good but oh well at least its edible now

[@Housewarmin]

John was soo delighted with his Ice T pun

[@Chibihugs]

I drink both coffee and tea with equal enjoyment. And I adore afternoon tea parties with my mom and sisters.

[@PatrickAllenNL]

Geico is back.. and the British army is freaking out right now

[@DtWolfwood]

Long time Lennon. Just a year or so ago i discovered Earl Grey and became a fan. just love tea is all its forms :)

[@whitleyann]

Try adding some lemon to that Earl Grey trust my you went regret it. The flavor is impeccable.

[@Palifiox]

Corporal Stewart Hefti of the Royal Air Force set the world record for looping the loop 14 times while drinking a mug of tea in 2009. Well done that man!.

[@Grobohalic]

I love tea. 1-2 cups a day. More during the cold Minnesota winter

[@RachelReiss]

I'm still dwelling on the mental image of pirates sitting down every afternoon to have a cup of tea...

[@taragwendolyn]

Definitely a Lennon... similarly particular about how it's made, too... I will notice if the bag's in after the hot water because it comes out weak and watery regardless of how long you steep it.... Properly, you should warm the pot and your cup prior to brewing and pouring, too....

[@ameliamason7203]

Total Lennon but I love Bowie. And have you seen how Maggie Smith's character in The Second Best Marigold Hotel yells at the american who gave her tea. I am her too. Tea is a beautiful thing.

[@catbojangles]

I drink an enormous amount of tea, although I'm not as particular as Lennon about preparation. Having dealt with boil-water advisories and lousy tap water, I recommend keeping some tea in your emergency/camping kit to make bleach-treated or stale emergency water palatable.

[@GiovannaMcneil]

I'm American and absotuley adore tea. been drinking it all my life.

[@FieryPheanix]

Americans know nothing about tea!

[@adbreon]

+Pratyush Srivastava many Americans know quite a bit about tea. That being said, the blends used to make tea meant to be consumed cold are different than the ones meant to be served hot so many "American" brands taste terrible as hot tea because they aren't really designed for that use. Hot tea is not something Americans drink in public at anywhere near the same rate as cold tea so it can be quite difficult to get good hot tea in this country when out.

[@FieryPheanix]

Anna Breon I'm joking but thanks for replying without hate

[@josephmontoya942]

"now you attack a British tank at 4 pm" love that line

[@Diggydo420]

I don't know why, but John saying "tea tea" makes me bust out laughing

[@loquayrocks]

The Irish word for Tea is Tae... also, in many parts of Ireland they call it Cha. The story of how the British stole the tea from China is fascinating in itself. Look it up.

[@user-uu5dc6wr6h]

Cha means tea in Korean!

[@marialikesthings4290]

I was literally drinking tea when I got this notification.

[@wyattsheffield6130]

+Chelsey Petro me too thanks

[@marialikesthings4290]

+Wyatt Sheffield (Wyatt915) What for?

[@gamesman0118]

+Chelsey Petro Yup me too. I like the Bigelow brand but get Morning Thunder when I can find it.

[@kaselier1116]

+Chelsey Petro Same :o

[@marialikesthings4290]

+Gamesman01 I don't think I've ever seen either of those brands before.

[@Bartholomule01]

I always liked tea, even as a kid. But I think it has more to do with in the south tea is sweet. I think it took a while for me to appreciate the more bitter traditional style of tea.

[@Silkendrum]

+Bartholomule01 Southern tea is lightly flavored sugar water.

[@onecalladay]

All British military "jeeps" in the early 60's came with an immersion heater used mainly for tea. There was a port on the passenger side dash it plugged in to.

[@classyhippieteaco.9601]

That was Awesome. Way to make tea cool again!

[@dotter8]

Tea is a sign of civilization anywhere you go.

[@Worth_Noodles]

That Ice tea joke earned my like 3:22

[@Applepopess]

I'm a huge tea fan and appreciate this video very much.

[@jayyoutube8790]

Never been a fan of tea, or coffee... But I am a fan of this show

[@Witchywheelchair]

I'm a total John Lennon when it comes to tea, i love it and I'm very particular about it

[@goodegiggles]

I'm from the South so Unsweetened Iced tea ( I know I'm not really southern because I like my tea unsweet eye roll)or hot green tea. I'm really glad that my local coffee house has actual tea and hosts tea parties once a month and on Saturday they offer afternoon tea.

[@asifrahman60]

This was a very informative video. I liked facts no. 21 and 27. My family, particularly my cousins on my mother's side, love tea.

[@tweetthang96]

I am very much a Lennon. Picky about my tea, wot. That being said I drink a lot more coffee, mostly due to accessibility and caffeine content. Interesting video full of things I wanted to know!

[@Mariathinking]

the nicest tea ive ever had is this 'indian spiced tea' that you get from thr cash and carry or sometimes tesco. it tastes like lovely cinnamon

[@MK.5198]

I am going to make some tea now thanks to this video.

[@ZennExile]

+Hen Barrison if you want to drink fluoride just swallow your toothpaste.

[@MK.5198]

Zenn Exile This is so extra? go fucking complain about shitty water somewhere else.

[@MK.5198]

Zenn Exile Why is being autistic inherently a bad thing?

[@ZennExile]

Hen Barrison because, this is a social media platform, and autism causes severe social conflict? Maybe?

[@MK.5198]

Zenn Exile Really? autism is what causes this? Because you're the one who came in here flippin tables about how drinking tea is equivalent to eating toothpaste. I'm here minding my own business, enjoying tea, and you just can't handle it, so you start with this BS. Who's the one causing "severe social conflict"?

[@swbusby]

I love to drink Pu-Er-Dante 5 yr aged. It is less caffienated than most teas, and does not get bitter no matter how long you steep it. In fact, one generally re-uses the Pu-Er-Dante tea 2 or 3 times as it continues to deliver a delicious drink over and over. Other teas get bitter if you steep too long, or steep multiple times.

[@jamesslick4790]

Miners,Pennsylvania...Beer. Yep, Nothing's changed! 😊

[@zack32460]

It's VERY telling that John described the Boston Tea Party as protesting the "monopoly" and not the tax. Very telling.\

[@DemagogueBibleStudy]

Wat

[@IoEstasCedonta]

+Z Johnson Telling that he doesn't make up facts? They weren't protesting a tax. In fact, the instigating event was a tax *cut* meant to make the illegal trade economically unfeasible.

[@LeonardGreenpaw]

+IoEstasCedonta Interesting. PLease tell me more! Or rather, HEY GREEN BROTHERS MAKE A VIDEO ON THIS TOPIC PLEASE .... or did they already make a video on crashcourse?

[@johnclavis]

Twinings is the shit.

[@wholeNwon]

+John Clavis Perhaps, but is it PANDA shit?

[@johnclavis]

wholeNwon Pandas suck. They roll onto and crush their own babies. They should have gone extinct decades ago.

[@darrenkearns6828]

+John Clavis wtf

[@BrokebackBob]

+John Clavis Harsh.

[@johnclavis]

It's true. Google "panda roll over crush baby". Shit, do that even if it isn't true!

[@mommyofone646]

I love tea, and Earl Grey is one of my favorites. I don't put any sugar in it, as it is better on its own.

[@futureDK1]

You can make tea from weed stems! I've done it before. Take a bunch of stems and break them up into smaller parts and put them in boiling water, wait an hour, enjoy. The high is mild and doesn't last long.

[@sanityisrelative]

OnlineDater69 That was a gag in the movie Grandma's Boy.

[@simianimp]

Gulped down a big mug of tea as I watched this. :)

[@illiteratemochi4150]

I freaking love tea! Best beverage, for sure.

[@bubblegumbabe21]

I have to admit if I was being attacked during tea time I'd probably try my best to save my tea before I saved myself...

[@lindseyreece8127]

Hot tea, iced tea, doesn't matter I love it. Also, iced tea mixed with makers mark and a dash of lime juice is AMAZING.

[@gamesman0118]

+Lindsey Allmon I love iceed mint tea the stronger the mint the better.

[@flameraven42]

I love tea.

[@ruwan591]

In Sri Lanka its pronounced Te as well, Also in China black tea is known as Red tea or Hong Cha.

[@GingerWizzard1994]

Number 17 made me giggle :P For me, Barry's Gold Blend is the best, teabag first, two sugars, boiling water. Stir ALOT. Brew until strong. Bit of milk. Stir MOAR. Nice cuppa tay!

[@macsnafu]

Earl Grey makes a surprisingly good iced tea. And yes, I prefer the Twinings brand of Earl Grey.

[@TheMimiSard]

I favour fruit tisanes and almost always drink iced tea - mostly home-made, cold-brewed, but I do like certain brands of pre-packaged commercial iced tea. Just not Lipton, they went too sweet when they started using stevia. Now my brand of choice is an Australian brand called the Real Iced Tea Co. Favoured tea shop: T2, an Australian chain with shops all over the country, branches in New Zealand, London and even one in New York.

[@N313GrayFox]

That Ice-t joke gave me serious List 25 vibes.

[@BHuang92]

# 31 Imagine what were the fishes like when all that tea was dumped in the Boston Harbor ........

[@BioniclesaurKing4t2]

+BHuang92 "Ahhg! Get this heavy wooden crate off of me! Help!"

[@BHuang92]

+BioniclesaurKing4t2 Or, really hyper fish.

[@BioniclesaurKing4t2]

+BHuang92 That was too obvious. Gotta be original.

[@bjf10]

Like anything else, the type of tea really makes a difference. These days I find I quite enjoy Yorkshire Gold.

[@YCCCm7]

Let's not forget that your sense of smell and taste are thrown off on planes to begin with. But the difference in chemistry definitely important as well.

[@MattArgo]

Holy Crap! John Green just talked about my tiny hometown Zillah! My mom used to get gas at the Teapot when it was still open.

[@danytargaryen7063]

Hah, I'm from the area, too!

[@axebearer]

I have 16 different types of tea in my cabinet. I frakking love tea!

[@Silkendrum]

+Gaius Baltar Unless you drink a LOT of tea, you might want to rotate through purchasing different types, so they don't go stale.

[@axebearer]

Silkendrum I drink a lot of tea, but some of it still goes stale. Only the stuff that isn't the tastiest though. Everything else gets used within a reasonable time period.

[@Ikiratuki]

I'm definitely a Lennon. A perfect video for my b-day.

[@apollostefan7592]

Puerh tea is rising in popularity throughout the world, particularly in Russia as of late. Also there is a sixth and seventh type of tea, yellow and purple. Purple tea is very similar to a non fermented Puerh tea known as Sheng Puerh.

[@christinecrawford]

Oh John Green, I find your puns and silly dad jokes very entertaining!! I am a David Bowie when it comes to tea - no thank you!!

[@SionEoinPaytonJesse]

haha I used to click on my mental floss email notifications hoping it would be John Green in the video but this time I was like "awww, where's that cute boy!!" (Elliott) lol :x

[@ERNesbitt]

I want to become a tea sommelier! Until then, I think I'll have another cup of tea... I'm definitely a Lennon for my tea. I have the perfect brew times and water temperatures for all of the tea (and tisane) in the house.