As befits a product with a history that stretches back 5,000 years, tales of its origins swirl around different cultures like tea leaves. However, it would seem that China can lay claim to having discovered tree while his servant was boiling water for drinking. When the wind blew, it sent leaves from the tree into the water, which turned a golden colour and gave off a pleasant aroma. Shen Nung decided to try the drink and found it delicious – and exclaimed “t’sa”, which means ‘godlike’. To this day, tea in China is called cha.
