Ultimate Tea Quiz Questions and Answers [2023 Quiz]

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Know your loose leaf teas from your green tea? Your oolong tea from your herbal teas? Or are you just happy to curl up with a cuppa?! Test your knowledge with 55+ Tea Quiz Questions and Answers.

Drinking tea is a national past-time in some countries, with its popularity eclipsing that of coffee(!) And with so many different types of tea, it’s easy to see why it is such a crowd-pleaser – there is literally something for everyone (and why it is such big business! Did you know that in 2020 global consumption of tea amounted to about 6.3 billion kilograms?! That’s a lot of people selling tea!)

A nice warming cup of black tea or white tea is perfect on a cold night (or morning); a gunpowder green tea can give you a boost of caffeine; chai teas have that spicy kick and herbal teas have evolved to modern-day wellness teas and tea blends to help combat and treat multiple ailments: Peppermint tea for digestion, Camomile tea to aid sleep, Ginger tea for nausea etc.

The tea plant has a lot to boast about really, and the benefits of tea are widely documented, so tea lovers, grab yourself a cuppa and test your knowledge with 55+ Tea Trivia questions and answers!

Tea Trivia Questions

1. When stored properly, this tea does not lose its flavor for many years. This is the primary reason why it was traded extensively in the past. In the 1800’s, blocks of this tea were even used as currency by the Siberians, Mongolians and Tibetans. What tea was it?

2. Black tea is called by what name in china and other Asian countries?

3. In the Himalayas, it’s traditional to add butter (usually from a yak) to milky black tea. The salt helps people living at high altitudes stay hydrated. It’s called po cha. It is the unofficial national beverage of which autonomous region

4. What name is given to a traditional preparation of green tea widely consumed in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and some regions of Central Asia, traditionally prepared in a copper kettle known as Samovar?

5. A type of green tea and a specialty product of the Vietnamese tea industry, is consumed as part of celebratory events or festivals has been flavored with the scent of which common aquatic plant?

6. Which tea leaves meaning “red bush “are used to make a herbal tea especially in Southern Africa

7. As per Chinese legend, what was discovered by accident when a certain person named Wu Liang was distracted by a deer after a hard day’s tea-picking and by the time he remembered to return to the tea, it had already started to oxidize?

8. A fermented tea initially produced in China, the name of which comes from the name of a town located in central Yunnan, a trading post where all teas produced from the nearby tea mountains were sold and traded?

9. One of the top types of tea, this tea is said to aid weight loss and improve blood flow. Mostly popular in places like Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, this tea has an exciting serving method – it is drunk through a straw out of a rounded wooden cup called a gourd. Name it.

10. In The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902), Peter is given a tea named after a flower after being chased by Mr. McGregor. Name this tea, one of the top teas globally, especially when it comes to herbal varieties.

11. Name the most common tea flavour and the most popular type of tea in China.

12. According to the story, which popular tea in England was created by Twinings in 1831 for the then Prime Minister?

13. The most popular tea in England owes its origin to neighbouring Scotland, but Queen Victoria liked it so much that she brought it back over the border in the 19th century and renamed it. Traditionally drunk with milk and sugar to cut its strength, this popular tea has a rich and hearty flavor. What it is called?

14. What is the British English colloquial term for a strong cup of tea that takes its name from the inexpensive tea commonly drunk by labourers taking a break?

15. Appearing commercially around 1904, what was successfully marketed in about 1908 by Thomas Sullivan, a tea and coffee importer from New York?

16. Sweet tea was once consumed as a punch mixed with liquor and flavourings of mint and cream. Which mixed alcoholic drink, or cocktail, consisting primarily of bourbon, sugar, water, crushed or shaved ice evolved from this punch?

17. Which country consumes the most tea?
A.Ireland.
B. Iran.
C.Egypt.
D.Turkey.

18. It is said that Zen monks discovered a powdered green tea in the 9th century in China and that a Buddhist monk brought it to Japan at the end of the 12th century. What is this powdered green tea called?

19. What is the first known monograph on tea in the world, by Chinese writer Lu Yu between 760 CE and 762 CE called?

20. In 1995, originally registered as ‘Contents Homeware’, which chain of specialty tea shops with stores in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Singapore was established in Melbourne and was co-founded by Maryanne Shearer and Jan O’Connor?

21. Which famous tea brand was founded in 1988 by Merrill J Fernando and was named after the founder’s two sons?

22. Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrubs or small trees whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. The generic name Camellia is taken from the Latinized name of a Jesuit missionary, pharmacist and naturalist. Name him.

23. Which tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s most commonly consists of tea accompanied by chewy tapioca balls (“pearls”), but can be made with other toppings as well?

24. Mostly served in a white ceramic cup and saucer and often called 90ml chai after its standard volume, this sweet, milky tea is known for its unique taste and rejuvenating properties. It is traditionally served with staples such as Osmania biscuits and sweet cream. Name this popular tea from India.

25. The earliest verbal record of herbal teas dates back to 2737 BC in China. Some of the most popular herbal teas includes Mint, Chamomile, and Ginger. Herbal tea is called by what popular name in Europe?

26. What is the name is derived from a word for a special kind of Chinese tea, meaning white downy hair referring to the down-like hairs on the tea leaves that are the youngest and smallest on the plant?

27. A grand tradition that lasted over 300 years, the first event of which was held at the headquarters of the East India Company on Leadenhall Street in March 1679?

28. What is the name of the box, jar, canister, or other receptacle used to store tea?

29. What is the name of the black tea consisting of Camellia sinensis leaves that are smoke-dried over a pinewood fire that originated in the Wuyi Mountains during the Qing dynasty (the last dynasty in the imperial history of China.)
A. Dian Hong Cha
B. Chai Kee Mun
C. Keemun Black Tea
D. Lapsang souchong.

30. Traditionally, what variety of black tea came from the Wuyi Mountains in the Chinese province of Fujian? (Later the term was hijacked by the tea trade to refer to all black tea varieties)

31. Most of the tea bushes in this place owe their origin to tea seeds from China “smuggled” out by famous Scot adventurer and botanist Robert Fortune nearly 200 years ago. The land from where the eponymous tea, famously described as the champagne of teas comes is situated in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. Name it.

32. Set up in 1911, what is the oldest and largest tea research station of its kind in the world, located in Assam, India?

33. “A Nice Cup of Tea” is an essay by an English author first published in the London Evening Standard on 12 January 1946. It is a discussion of the craft of making a cup of tea. Who wrote it

34. Richard Blechynden, an American merchant sold what at the 1904 World’s Fair, after which the drink attained nationwide recognition

35. What is a divination or fortune-telling method that interprets patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments called?

36. Which historical figure is called the ‘father of the Japanese tea ceremony ‘?
A. Oda Nobunaga.
B. Sen no Rikyū.
C. Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
D. Matsushita Kōnosuke.

37. When it officially went on the market in April 2012, it was reputedly the world’s most expensive tea with 50 grams (approximately 16 cups of tea) sold for $3,500 (£2,200), or about $200 (£130) a cup. Produced in the Ya’an mountainous region of Sichuan, China, what is so unique about this tea?

38. Which phrase that shares its name with a 2012 New York Times bestseller by Laura Childs was coined to describe the curling of the tea leaves when boiling water is poured over them?

39. In the 1840s, the Duchess of Bedford Anna Maria Russell unwittingly developed what concept after ordering that the kitchen bring food and tea to her room from the kitchen?

40. There is no character better known in the world of fiction and arguably all of pop culture for their love of tea than which Lewis Carroll character?
A. Alice.
B. Mad Hatter.
C. Cheshire Cat.
D. March Hare.

41. What is the name of the largest tea garden in the world located at the Biswanath Chariali district of Assam, India?

42. Perched at an altitude of 7,900 feet above sea level, name the highest tea plantation in the world.

43. Historically, Indigenous Australians drank an infusion from the plant species Leptospermum. Upon landing in Australia for the first time, Captain Cook noticed the first nations peoples drinking it and called it what? (Hint: the tree itself is now colloquially called the same thing).

44. What is the name of tea created with a combination of Green Tea and Roasted Brown Rice that became popular and widespread as part of the Japanese staple diet during the times when there was a shortage of other meals?

45. What is the name of the most expensive tea to brew – a rare Chinese variety named in honour of the Buddhist Iron Goddess of Mercy?

46. The first tea book written was named what?

47. What is the name of the oldest tea company in the world?
A. Twinings.
B. Lipton.
C. The Republic of Tea
D.Tetley

48. According to one theory, adding tea to milk in the UK originated because early tea drinkers didn’t want to mess up something specific. What was it?

49. In the 1700s, tea replaced what two beverages as the UK’s favourite tipple?

50. A few countries have their own National Tea Day celebrations at other times of the year, but according to the United Nations, international Tea Day is observed annually on which date?

51. First cultivated in China as a herb as early as 1500 BCE, which flower-based infusion beverage is made from the national flower of Japan?

52. Before pouring tea, one should pour hot water into the pot to warm it beforehand. What piece of equipment was included in the original tea sets to empty this water?
A ‘slop bowl’

53. What is the name of one particular blend of Oolong and Darjeeling, so-called because it’s made at a high altitude due to the water boiling at a lower temperature?

54. Olive leaf tea is native to which European country where tea is made from Mission Olive Trees and Manzanillo?

55. Joseph Darling was an Australian cricketer who played 34 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1894 and 1905. When he led the 1899 team to England, he suggested what later became a common cricketing tradition?

56. Name the popular hot milk tea beverage most commonly found in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, whose name is derived from the pouring process of “pulling” the drink during preparation.

Tea Quiz Questions and Answers

1. When stored properly, this tea does not lose its flavor for many years. This is the primary reason why it was traded extensively in the past. In the 1800’s, blocks of this tea were even used as currency by the Siberians, Mongolians and Tibetans. What tea was it?
Black tea.

2. Black tea is called by what name in china and other Asian countries?
Red tea.

5. A type of green tea and a specialty product of the Vietnamese tea industry, is consumed as part of celebratory events or festivals has been flavored with the scent of which common aquatic plant?
The Lotus. (Nelumbo nucifera, Vietnamese lotus tea)

6. Which tea leaves meaning “red bush” is used to make a herbal tea especially in Southern Africa?
Rooibos

11. Name the most common tea flavour and the most popular type of tea in China.
Jasmine tea

12. According to the story, which popular tea in England was created by Twinings in 1831 for the then Prime Minister?
Earl Grey tea.
(Named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey.)

14. What is the British English colloquial term for a strong cup of tea that takes its name from the inexpensive tea commonly drunk by labourers taking a break?
Builder’s tea, also known as a builder’s brew.

15. Appearing commercially around 1904, what was successfully marketed in about 1908 by Thomas Sullivan, a tea and coffee importer from New York?
The Teabag.

16. Sweet tea was once consumed as a punch mixed with liquor and flavourings of mint and cream. Which mixed alcoholic drink, or cocktail, consisting primarily of bourbon, sugar, water, crushed or shaved ice evolved from this punch?
Mint julep.

17. Which country consumes the most tea?
A.Ireland.
B. Iran.
C.Egypt.
D.Turkey.

19. What is the first known monograph on tea in the world, by Chinese writer Lu Yu between 760 CE and 762 CE called?
The Classic of Tea / Tea Classic.

21. Which famous tea brand was founded in 1988 by Merrill J Fernando and was named after the founder’s two sons?
Dilmah.
(The name Dilmah was chosen by combining the first names of Fernando’s sons Dilhan and Malik.)

23. Which tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s most commonly consists of tea accompanied by chewy tapioca balls (“pearls”), but can be made with other toppings as well?
Bubble tea (also known as pearl milk tea, bubble milk tea, tapioca milk tea, or boba tea or boba)

25. The earliest verbal record of herbal teas dates back to 2737 BC in China. Some of the most popular herbal teas include Mint, Chamomile, and Ginger. Herbal tea is called by what popular name in Europe?
Tisane.

27. A grand tradition that lasted over 300 years, the first event of which was held at the headquarters of the East India Company on Leadenhall Street in March 1679?
The London Tea Auction.

28. What is the name of the box, jar, canister, or other receptacle used to store tea?
A tea caddy.

30. Traditionally, what variety of black tea came from the Wuyi Mountains in the Chinese province of Fujian? (Later the term was hijacked by the tea trade to refer to all black tea varieties).
Bohea. (Wuyi tea)

32. Set up in 1911, what is the oldest and largest tea research station of its kind in the world, located in Assam, India?
The Tocklai Tea Research Institute (TTRI)

33. “A Nice Cup of Tea” is an essay by an English author first published in the London Evening Standard on 12 January 1946. It is a discussion of the craft of making a cup of tea. Who wrote it?
George Orwell

34. Richard Blechynden, an American merchant sold what at the 1904 World’s Fair, after which the drink attained nationwide recognition?
Iced tea.

35. What is a divination or fortune-telling method that interprets patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments called?
Tasseography (also known as tasseomancy, tassology, or tasseology)

36. Which historical figure is called the ‘father of the Japanese tea ceremony ‘?
A. Oda Nobunaga.
B. Sen no Rikyū.
C. Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
D. Matsushita Kōnosuke.

38. Which phrase that shares its name with a 2012 New York Times bestseller by Laura Childs was coined to describe the curling of the tea leaves when boiling water is poured over them?
The ‘Agony of the Leaves’

39. In the 1840s, the Duchess of Bedford Anna Maria Russell unwittingly developed what concept after ordering that the kitchen bring food and tea to her room from the kitchen?
The concept of Afternoon Tea

40. There is no character better known in the world of fiction and arguably all of pop culture for their love of tea than which Lewis Carroll character?
A. Alice.
B. Mad Hatter.
C. Cheshire Cat.
D. March Hare.

41. What is the name of the largest tea garden in the world located at the Biswanath Chariali district of Assam, India?
Monabarie Tea Estate.

42. Perched at an altitude of 7,900 feet above sea level, name the highest tea plantation in the world.
The tea plantations of Kolukkumalai, Tamil Nadu, India.

45. What is the name of the most expensive tea to brew – a rare Chinese variety named in honour of the Buddhist Iron Goddess of Mercy?
Tieguanyin (鐵觀音)

46. The first tea book written was named what?
Ch’a Ching (The Classic of Tea)

47. What is the name of the oldest tea company in the world?
A. Twinings.
B. Lipton.
C. The Republic of Tea
D.Tetley

48. According to one theory, adding tea to milk in the UK originated because early tea drinkers didn’t want to mess up something specific. What was it?
Their Porcelain tea sets
(Early tea drinkers put milk into the cups first to take some of the heat out of the tea, so that cups wouldn’t crack; and now, 93% of tea is taken with milk in the UK.)

49. In the 1700s, tea replaced what two beverages as the UK’s favourite tipple?
Ale and Gin.

50. A few countries have their own National Tea Day celebrations at other times of the year, but according to the United Nations, international Tea Day is observed annually on which date?
May 21

51. First cultivated in China as a herb as early as 1500 BCE, which flower-based infusion beverage is made from the national flower of Japan?
Chrysanthemum tea

52. Before pouring tea, one should pour hot water into the pot to warm it beforehand. What piece of equipment was included in the original tea sets to empty this water?
A ‘slop bowl’

53. What is the name of one particular blend of Oolong and Darjeeling, so-called because it’s made at a high altitude due to the water boiling at a lower temperature?
Sherpa Tea

54. Olive leaf tea is native to which European country where tea is made from Mission Olive Trees and Manzanillo?
Italy

56. Name the popular hot milk tea beverage most commonly found in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, whose name is derived from the pouring process of “pulling” the drink during preparation.
Teh Tarik

And that’s a wrap on our Tea trivia quiz. We know this quiz tests your tea knowledge and hope you managed to get enough of them correct that you can call yourself a Tea Sommelier (that’s a tea expert if you weren’t sure!)
– and if you like our tea quiz and have used some of our questions in your next quiz night, be sure to share on social media!

AND IF YOU LIKE THIS DRINK QUIZ, YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THESE OTHER WORD LISTS, FOOD & DRINKS QUIZ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND FOOD TRIVIA:

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