Did you know herbal tea is NOT tea? Chamomile and Jasmine, also not tea! On this Milktea Monday, I got to visit America’s one and only tea plantation in Charleston, South Carolina, and learned all about how American Classic tea is made! 🌿
We went on a trolley and factory tour with a pretty awesome and only tea trolley driver in all of North America. Tea is the 2nd most consumed drink in the world, second to water. While tea originated from China, iced tea was indeed invented in America.
Because of an embargo act with China in the late 1800s, we couldn’t get tea from China. South Carolina has the perfect environment to grow tea, and this became Bill Hall’s vision to start a tea plantation. People thought he was crazy, but look at him now! Due to the cost of labor, we’re the only country that doesn’t hand harvest tea leaves, and created the Green Giant to harvest tea. American ingenuity at its best! Only 5 people are needed to work this huge plantation! Growing tea is so good for the environment, and healthy for you too! Drink up friends!