ChineseTea

　　Ofthethreemajorbeveragesoftheworld--tea,coffeeandcocoa--teaisconsumedbythelargestnumberofpeople.

　　Chinaisthehomelandoftea.ItisbelievedthatChinahastea-shrubsasearlyasfivetosixthousandyearsago,andhumancultivationofteaplantsdatesbacktwothousandyears.TeafromChina,alongwithhersilkandporcelain,begantobeknowntheworldovermorethanathousandyearsagoandhassincealwaysbeenanimportantChineseexport.AtpresentmorethanfortycountriesintheworldgrowteawithAsiancountriesproducing90%oftheworld'stotaloutput.AllteatreesinothercountrieshavetheirorigindirectlyorindirectlyinChina.ThewordfortealeavesorteaasadrinkinmanycountriesarederivativesfromtheChinesecharacter"cha."TheRussianscallit"cha'i",whichsoundslike"chaye"(tealeaves)asitispronouncedinnorthernChina,andtheEnglishword"tea"soundssimilartothepronunciationofitscounterpartinXiamen(Amoy).TheJapanesecharacterforteaiswrittenexactlythesameasitisinChinese,thoughpronouncedwithaslightdifference.ThehabitofteadrinkingspreadtoJapaninthe6thcentury,butitwasnotintroducedtoEuropeandAmericatillthe17thand18thcenturies.Nowthenumberofteadrinkersintheworldislegionandisstillontheincrease.