Tea is the second most consumed beverage around the world, after water. The scientific name of the tea plant is Camellia sinesis. Tea grows in the form of bushes and is typically cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical climates. A tea plant can grow up to 16 m in height, but they are generally pruned to waist height for ease of plucking the top part (i.e., the bud), which is used for preparation of the tea drink.
The habit of drinking tea originated southwest China, where it was used at that time as a medicinal drink. Tea was popularized as a recreational drink during the Tang dynasty in China, and this habit eventually spread to other countries in East Asia. During the sixteenth century, Portuguese priests and merchants introduced tea to Europe. Following this, during the seventeenth century, the British adopted the habit of drinking tea and because it was considered "fashionable," large-scale production tea began at this time.

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