Tea is an aromatic beverage with a mild bitter flavour. It is prepared using dried tea leaves and hot water. Tea is usually drunk hot, but can also be drunk cold, especially during hot seasons. Tea plants are native to East Asia and probably originated in the borderlands between China and Burma. Legend has it that tea was discovered by the Chinese emperor Shan Nong in 2737 B.C. The first European reference to tea was in the book “Delle Navigationi et Viaggi “, written by the Venetian writer Giambattista Ramusio in 1545. Tea was brought to Europe by Portuguese priests and Dutch merchants during the 16th century. However, tea wasn’t widely consumed in Britain until the 18th century. Originally tea was very expensive and only the wealthy could afford it and was only drunk on very special occasions. This changed due to the flourishing trade of smugglers, very soon it became affordable for everyone. Tea was later imported to North America in the 18th century and was an important source of income for the British government. On the 16th of December 1773, colonists boarded ships anchored in the bay and threw the cargo of tea into the water. This became known as the Boston Tea Party. This together with other events eventually led to the American Revolution.
Tea Today
Tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world after water. Tea plants can grow to a height of 16mt if left undisturbed, but cultivated plants are normaly about 120cm in hight,