Tea has been drunk in China for at least 4,000 years, where it began as a medicine before becoming an everyday drink. It spread along trade routes to Japan, then to the Middle East, then to Europe, and finally to the rest of the world. Today only plain water is drunk more than tea, anywhere on Earth.
What might surprise you is that all “true” tea - black, green, white, and oolong - comes from a single plant called Camellia sinensis. The differences are entirely in how the leaves are treated. Green tea is steamed quickly, black tea is allowed to oxidize until it turns dark, and white tea is barely processed at all.
Britain is famous for tea, but Turkey actually drinks more per person than any other country - around 3 kilograms of dry leaves per person per year. China grows more than anyone else, while India invented the milky, spicy mix called chai. Even “herbal teas” like mint or chamomile aren’t technically tea - they’re just hot flavored water.
