When it comes to tea – the Official Hospitality Beverage of South Carolina – the first thing that comes to mind is probably a glass of ice-cold sweet tea on a hot summer day.
However, tea in South Carolina is much more than a glass of sweet tea. The Palmetto State is steeped in tea history, starting with the oldest and largest tea plantation in the US, Charleston Tea Garden, to the only tea farm in the US growing mountain grown American Tea, Table Rock Tea Company.
Tea is hotter than ever right now (unless you like it iced, of course). According to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., you can find tea in over 80 percent of U.S. households, with four in five consumers drinking tea. It's not senior citizens who are behind the 21st century tea party; Millennials are the most likely age group (87%) to be enjoying the beverage these days. In other words, there’s no better time to experience South Carolina’s tea offerings, whether in person, or from home. Here’s more information on what makes South Carolina Tea Country:
- In the 1700s, the first Camellia Sinensis plants (what tea is derived from) found their way from China to Summerville, South Carolina.
- Charleston Tea Garden, the oldest and largest tea plantation in the US, is located on Wadmalaw Island. This 127-acre spot produces both black and green teas (they exist in over 320 varieties). You can take a factory tour, ride a trolley through the tea fields, visit the shop, or purchase the tea online.
- Summerville is “The Birthplace of Sweet Tea,” so it’s only natural that the destination has its own Sweet Tea Trail, complete with the World’s Largest Sweet Tea (15ft tall, holds 2.5k gallons), a sweet tea mural, and of course, all the places in Summerville to enjoy an ice cold glass. (Fun fact: 75-80 percent of tea consumed in America is iced!)
- The world’s first Sweet Tea Vodka was made at Firefly, Charleston’s oldest working distillery, and is readily available nationally in stores.
- Table Rock Tea Company is breaking all of the rules of tea production with their mountain-grown American Tea, and Winter Leaf, the only cold harvested green tea in the world. Other innovative Table Rock teas include the “Bear Claw” that undergoes a special caramelization process, making it technically a dark oolong tea. Table Rock Tea Co., offers tours, camping, volunteer work, and training. Worth mentioning: through Table Rock's consortium, you can grow their tea on your farm, and sell it to the back to them. Their American-made tea is available for purchase online.
- There are teapots for days at Tearificteapot Museum, in Elloree, South Carolina where you’ll find a collection of 5,001 teapots, and a ginormous, 20-foot blue teapot (with more teapots inside)! The museum also serves Traditional High Tea, which consists of a pot of the "flavor of the week" hot tea, iced tea, five courses and a selection of sweets.