Conversely the Indian and Japanese legends both attribute the discovery of tea to Bodhidharma the devout Buddhist priest who founded Zen Buddhism. The Indian legend tells how in the fifth year of a seven year sleepless contemplation of Buddha he began to feel drowsy. He immediately plucked a few leaves from a nearby bush and chewed them which dispelled his tiredness. The bush was a wild tea tree.

From the earliest times tea was renowned for its properties as a healthy, refreshing drink. By the third century AD many stories were being told and some written about tea and the benefits of tea drinking, but it was not until the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 906 AD) that tea became China's national drink and the word ch'a was used to describe tea.

The first book on tea "Ch'a Ching", circa 780 AD, was written by the Chinese author Lu Yu. It comprises three volumes and covers tea from its growth through to its making and drinking, as well as covering a historical summary and famous early tea plantation. There are many illustrations of tea making utensils and some say that the book inspired the Buddhist priests to create the Japanese tea ceremony. The spread of cultivation throughout China and Japan is largely accredited to the movement of Buddhist priests throughout the region.

The modern term "tea" derives from early Chinese dialect words - such as Tchai, Cha and Tay - used both to describe the beverage and the leaf.

The tea plant is one of the Camellia family (Camellia Sinensis) which is indigenous to China and India. The leaves are stiff, shiny and pointed, and the flowers, which resemble the buttercup in shape, are white with golden stems. The plant requires a warm, wet climate with at least 50 inches (135mm) of rain a year and well-drained soil. It grows at varying altitudes up to 7,000 feet.

The quality of tea depends on climatic conditions. At higher altitudes the growth of the plants is slower and the crops smaller, but the quality will generally be better. Only the bud and two top leaves from each stalk are picked for processing.

Like wine, each crop reflects the character of the region in which it is grown. Soil, climate, the amount of rain and time of the year the tea is plucked influences its character. China is credited with originating tea cultivation, and tea plants now grow in about 30 countries. However the best quality teas come from Sri Lanka (Ceylon Tea) or India.