Thursday Open Line


In the depths of winter, many Americans find soothing warmth in a cup of hot tea, be it herbal, ginseng, black, green or some exotic specialty blend. Lumped together, this appreciation of the brew underlies January’s National Hot Tea Month. Tea is the only beverage commonly served either hot or iced and in any season. While tea has been consumed for thousands of years, Americans made two important contributions — inventing tea bags and iced tea — both in 1904. There are 360 tea and coffee manufacturing firms in the U.S., employing nearly 13,000 workers, and doing over $7.8 billion of business annually. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.