Tea

The plant behind the world's favourite drink after water

Both green and black tea come from the same bush — the tea plant! The only difference is how the leaves are dried. Tea was discovered in China 5,000 years ago: legend says a leaf fell into the emperor's hot water. Tea doesn't grow in Uzbekistan, but we love drinking it — a guest is always served tea first. The tea bush grows best in misty mountains.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is an evergreen shrub native to south-west China and Assam, pruned to 1–2 m in cultivation (wild plants reach 15 m). The leaves contain caffeine and catechins; processing decides the type: green tea is steamed to stop oxidation, black tea is fully oxidised (fermented), oolong partly. 6.5 million tonnes a year, led by China, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka. Mountain slopes at 1,000–2,000 m with mist and rain give the best quality (Darjeeling, Uji). In the 19th century the British smuggled seeds and know-how out of China to found plantations in India. In Uzbekistan tea is a symbol of hospitality: green in summer, black in Tashkent; the chaikhana tea-house culture. Imported from China, India and Sri Lanka.

Fun facts

• Green and black tea come from the same bush — the difference is in processing.
• Tea is the most popular drink in the world after water.
• A wild tea bush grows into a 15 m tree.