All tea comes from the camellia sinensis plant, of which there are two main varieties: the small leaf China plant and the large leaf Assam plant.  Within the China type, there are over three hundred cultivars or subvarieties.  Factors, such as the soil, climate, and altitude affect the quality of the tea leaves.  The processing of the tea and the artistry of the tea master in charge of the processing along with the skill of his artisan workers make a big difference in the flavor and quality of the finished tea product.

The oldest wild tea tree is about seventeen hundred years old. It grows in Yunnan province, China.

Americans were drinking tea before the British.  New York was originally a Dutch colony called New Amsterdam. In 1650 Perter Stuyvesant introduced tea to the colony.  About 8 years later, tea was imported into England.