Tea is the world's most consumed beverage after water, with a history spanning nearly 5,000 years. What began as medicine in ancient China became a daily ritual for billions and shaped global trade and politics.
Legend attributes tea's discovery to Emperor Shen Nung in 2737 BCE, when tea leaves blew into his boiling water. Historical records confirm Chinese tea cultivation by the 3rd century CE. Initially valued for medicinal properties, tea gradually became a recreational drink.
Tea culture reached Japan with Buddhist monks in the 9th century, eventually developing into the ritualized Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu). The ceremony elevated tea preparation to a meditative art form, influencing Japanese aesthetics, architecture, and philosophy.