Tea
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For other uses, see Tea (disambiguation).
Tea Tea leaves steeping in a zhong čaj 05.jpg
Green Tea leaves in a Chinese gaiwan
Type Hot or cold beverage
Country of origin China
History
Introduced approx. 10th century BC.[1]
Tea plant (Camellia sinensis) from Köhler’s Medicinal Plants
Tea plants are native to East and South Asia and probably originated around the point of confluence of the lands of northeast India, north Burma, southwest China, and Tibet. Although tales exist in regards to the beginnings of tea being used as a beverage, no one is sure of its exact origins. The usage of tea as a beverage was first recorded in China, with the earliest records of tea consumption with records dating back to the 10th century BC.[1][31] It was already a common drink during Qin Dynasty (around 200 BC) and became widely popular during Tang Dynasty, when it was spread to Korea and Japan. Trade of tea by the Chinese to Western nations in the 19th century spread tea and the tea plant to numerous locations around the world.
Tea is the agricultural product of the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of various cultivars and sub-varieties[2] of the Camellia sinensis plant, processed and cured using various methods. “Tea” also refers to the aromatic beverage prepared from the cured leaves by combination with hot or boiling water,[3] and is the common name for the Camellia sinensis plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. [4] It has a cooling, slightly bitter, astringent flavour which many enjoy.[5]
There are at least six varieties of tea: white, yellow, green, oolong, black, and post-fermented teas[6] of which the most commonly found on the market are white, green, oolong, and black. Some varieties, such as traditional oolong tea[7] and Pu-erh tea, a post-fermented tea, can be used medicinally.[8]
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