Tea is old. It is older than coffee and about the same age as beer as a beverage. According to legend, it was discovered when a leaf, from the tree a Chinese emperor was sitting beneath, fell into the water a servant was boiling for him. That leaf fell from a wild tea tree. Eventually tea became the national drink of the Chinese and the rest, as they say, is history.



Not only is tea old is it a widely consumed drink. While it may not be number one is the U.S., it is the major drink in much of the rest of the world in one form or another. The amount of tea produced worldwide in 2006 was better than 3.64 million tonnes. As very little is used to make a cup of tea, you can see there was plenty to go around.

Does that tea you are drinking have less caffeine than coffee? Well, that depends. A 6-ounce cup of tea can have a lot or a little. It varies based upon what kind of tea you are drinking and how long you let it steep. The most seems to be about 110 milligrams in a cup of black tea. Black tea generally has more caffeine than green tea but not always.

Drinking tea will also provide you with some health benefits. While drinking, you are ingesting antioxidants which have been shown to protect people from Alzheimer's disease per the Phytotherapy Research magazine. You are also getting minerals which are essential for growing bones and homeostasis of the body. This doesn't even count what the vitamins do for you.

It doesn't matter to most people what the history or economics or health benefits of tea are. They simply drink it because it is a great, flavorful beverage. It's a good way to start a day or wind one down.

Over time, tea has not only been a drink. It has served as the basis for many ceremonies and events. You no doubt have heard of the Japanese tea ceremony in which a tea master will strive for excellence all his life. Then there is the afternoon tea that began in Great Britain by Anna, the Duchess of Bedford as a means of tiding one over from the morning breakfast till dinner which was served late at night. It developed into quite the thing to do and became part of English society.

While many parts of the world can and will disagree on many things from mode of dress to lifestyle to favorite foods, one things most will agree upon is the enjoyable cup of tea. Eastern philosophy and Western dictates may clash many times as we have seen through history, but the drinking of tea as a pleasurable experience is not one of them.

In the end, as the billion plus drinkers of tea around the world know, whether it is served from a clay pot or in a glass cup, tea is irresistible. So brew up your favorite flavor, enjoy the health benefits and drink a cuppa tonight.