Tea

Tea is a beverage made by infusing processed leaves, buds, or stems of the tea plant, *Camellia sinensis*, in hot or cold water.

Tea is a beverage made by infusing processed leaves, buds, or stems of the tea plant, *Camellia sinensis*, in hot or cold water. It is one of the world’s most widely consumed drinks and has long been associated with social custom, ritual, trade, and everyday life in many cultures. Tea culture is especially prominent in China, where tea traditions date back thousands of years.

Definition and production

Tea refers to drinks made by steeping processed leaves from the tea plant, *Camellia sinensis*. The major tea categories are created by differences in processing, oxidation, and preparation rather than by different plant species.

Origins and history

Tea is traditionally associated with China, where it was used medicinally and later as a daily drink. Historical accounts and scholarship place the development of tea culture in China over many centuries, with major flourishing during the Tang dynasty.

Tea culture

Tea culture includes the customs, aesthetics, and social practices surrounding tea drinking. In China, this includes tea history, tea customs, tea ceremony, utensils, tea arts, and tea literature.

Global traditions

Different regions developed distinct tea practices, including Japanese tea ceremony, British afternoon tea, and Moroccan mint tea traditions. Tea also became a major global trade commodity and influenced agricultural development in producing regions.