OVERLAND PARK, Ks. — The world’s most popular drink is, of course, water, but the second most consumed beverage globally is tea.

This weekend, the Midwest Tea Festival at the Overland Park Convention Center featured 24 venders from around the world. 

Folks who attended the festival sampled teas from Australia, France, England, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Japan.

Experts are quick to brag on the health benefits of tea. 

“It’s really healthy especially if you don’t put sugar in it,” said Sharyn Johnson of Australian Tea Masters.  “It’s full of anti-oxidants and polyphenols and theanine.”

“It gives you a nice peaceful feeling. That’s why buddhist monks and people for meditation use tea. Tea was a medicine in history so way back you had to go to a pharmacy to get it. It has a lot of really great health benefits.”

In addition to classes on brewing tea, the festival offered a business seminar to people interested in starting a tea-based business. Those are relatively rare here in the Midwest.