Witch of Walkerville: tea magic

Tea is known as a fine delicacy across the world in many major civilizations across the world, but how did a practice that began in China travel all the way across to the West? According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created. Whether this legend is true or not, tea can be traced in China all the way back to the Han Dynasty in 206 BC. It wasn’t until many centuries later that it became popular throughout the country though.