After water, tea is the most popular drink on the planet, enjoyed in almost every country in the world. Yet this everyday drink has a long and fascinating history that begins far away in ancient China.
According to tradition, the Chinese discovered tea thousands of years ago, learning to dry the leaves of the tea plant and steep them in hot water. For a long time it remained mainly a Chinese custom, but gradually tea began to travel. Along trade routes and later by sea, merchants carried it to Japan, across Asia, and eventually all the way to Europe, where it became especially fashionable in Britain.
As tea spread, each culture gave it a character of its own. In Japan, a formal tea ceremony turns preparing and drinking tea into a calm, almost meditative art. In Britain, afternoon tea with milk became a social ritual. In Turkey, strong tea served in small tulip-shaped glasses is offered constantly, as a warm sign of hospitality. In this way, a simple drink became a shared language of friendship and welcome across the world.
