, commonly known as tea, is grown in tea gardens and estates around the world. A simple beverage served either hot or iced, tea has fascinated and driven us, calmed and awoken us, for well over two thousand years. The most extensive and well-presented tea history available, tells of the rich legends and history surrounding the spread of tea throughout Asia and the West, as well as its rise to the status of necessity in kitchens around the world. From the tea houses of China's Tang Dynasty (618-907,) to fourteenth-century tea ceremonies in Korea's Buddhist temples' to the tea plantations in Sri Lanka today, this book explores and illuminates tea and its intricate, compelling history. Topics in include: Whether you prefer green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, chai, Japanese tea, Chinese tea, Sri Lankan tea, American tea or British tea, you will certainly enjoy reading this history of tea and expanding your knowledge of the world's most celebrated beverage.