Tea is a wonderful drink. You can uncover a lot in it, starting from the tantalizing taste of a hot beverage and ending with warm feelings of happiness inside. Do not underestimate the magic of tea: it brings families together and fills the kitchen with any variety of minty to fruity aromas.

In many places, tea goes hand in hand with greeting guests and is a common act of hospitality. In some cultures, you will not even have to ask and will be given a cup of tea right away, and only then, when you are warm and have quenched your thirst, can you start talking about your path and what brought you to the house.

In certain traditions, you will sit around the samovar (a traditional Russian vessel used for heating water), while in others you will find yourself seated on pillows, drinking brewed tea with milk and butter… In all cases, tea serves as a bridge, bringing us together in a single conversation.

The origin of tea is full of mysteries; there are still a lot of controversial facts about this delectable drink. The homeland of the plant is considered to be China, as tea bushes were grown there since the fifth millennium BC. Many Chinese residents attribute the discovery of tea to the great emperor Shen Nong, who ruled around 2700 BC and is considered the patron saint of agriculture and medicine.

The legend goes that one day, tired of searching for medicinal herbs, the emperor decided to take a break. His servants began to boil water over the fire, not noticing that a few leaves from a tree had fallen into the pot of boiling water. After drinking the prepared drink, the emperor was struck by its unusual taste and, at the same time, felt his fatigue disappear and his body gain new strength. He decided that he had found a new medicine and immediately began to study its healing properties.

Many centuries passed before tea became a Chinese national drink. In the 8th-Century, the famous treatise of Lu Yu "Canon of Tea" appeared, which described the basic principles of tea drinking. In the following centuries, the practice of drinking tea spread beyond the borders of the Middle Kingdom.

What about England and their biscuits with 5 o'clock tea? When did it appear? It is important to note that tea was brought to Europe only in 1517 by navigators from Portugal as a gift to the king. It took another hundred years for the court nobility to show interest in this wonderful drink.

The popularization of tea happened thanks to the Dutch, who brought its first batches to the Old World from Indonesia, a Dutch colony. Tea bushes were supposedly brought to Indonesia in 1684 by a Dutch merchant. Over time, Indonesia has become the world's largest tea producer. The Dutch were also the primary suppliers of tea to England.

From then on, tea gained popularity among the elites of London. It became fashionable to invite guests for a cup of afternoon tea, where people will converse calmly. In the history of tea distribution around the world, the British played an important role. They successfully cultivated the tea tree in the Indian province of Assam, Kenya, Ceylon and other countries. England is still the largest importer of Indian tea today, along with the United States, Russia and Japan.

Is there a way to drink tea correctly? The answer is no. The process of brewing tea differs from country to country, but we must not forget about the tea-drinking ritual itself. To give this moment even more significance, there are some steps you can take:

Put on harmonious music that will make you feel joyful; Invite your friends — a tea party with good company becomes even more meaningful; Prepare your favorite cake/any sweetness (purchased ones can solve this problem too) and enjoy the taste with a cup of tea; Decorate the room/kitchen — alternatively, you can light candles. Slowly sip tea, and enjoy every second.

Even if you were out of touch for several years, an invitation to a tea would be the best way to meet. Tea is a reason not to forget that we have each other.