Tea is consumed by more people and in greater amounts than any other beverage in the world, with the exception of water. The tea plant, from whose leaves tea is made, is native to India, China, and Japan and was first cultivated for use by the Chinese in prehistoric times. The plant, which is characterized as an evergreen, can reach a height of about thirty feet but is usually pruned down to three or four feet for cultivation. It has dark green leaves and cream-colored, fragrant blossoms.

Cultivation of the tea plant requires a great deal of effort. The plant must grow in a warm, wet climate in a carefully protected, well-drained area. Its leaves must be picked by hand. (Cultivation in North America has been attempted, but was found to be impractical because of a shortage of cheap labor.) Today, the plant is cultivated in the lands to which it is native, as well as in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan, and South America.

Tea was probably first used as a vegetable relish and for medicinal purposes. In the 1400s Chinese and Japanese Buddhists developed a semi-religious ceremony surrounding tea drinking. It was not until after 1700, however, that tea was first imported into Europe. Today, the United Kingdom imports more tea than does any other nation-almost one-third of the world's production. The United States is also a large importer, but Americans have seemed to prefer coffee ever since the famous Boston Tea Party in 1773.