Tea is a beverage made by infusing leaves in hot water. The canonical tea plant, Camellia sinensis, yields green tea, black tea, oolong, white tea, and pu-erh depending on oxidation and processing method.
Herbal infusions — chamomile, mint, rooibos, ginger — are also called tea in everyday usage, though they contain no Camellia sinensis leaf. The drink originated in China several thousand years ago and spread along trade routes to Japan, India, Europe, and beyond.
Tea contains caffeine, L-theanine, and polyphenols, a combination that promotes calm alertness and antioxidant activity. Preparation variables — temperature, steep time, leaf-to-water ratio — shape the flavor profile from delicate floral to robust malty.
In many cultures, tea ceremony and daily tea practice function as a form of meditation and social bonding. Kombucha, a fermented tea, introduces probiotics and bridges tea culture with fermentation traditions.
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