If I told you that there was a beverage that was amazing in all circumstances, ubiquitous in majority of cultures and ever present in today’s society, you might think that I am referring to water. However, you would be wrong as I am referring to the most glorious and versatile drink of them all, Tea. Now if one seeks to understand the versatility of Tea, one might go into a cookbook. However many cookbooks are woefully inadequate in describing the gloriousness of Tea. Some might mention some mundane instructions on how to prepare a particular brand, but most do not mention it at all. This in and of itself is baffling when taking into account the multiple sacrifices humanity has made for the sake of tea. One could argue that the expansion of the European empires into the west was due to the need for a more efficient route for the deliverance of Tea. There were sailors willing to sail across the world in order to attain fresh secrets from India and China with regards to their spices, silks and tea. To embark upon such an ambitious expedition into a place undiscovered for a few tea leaves speaks volumes of the value of tea in british society. British society wasn’t the only society that revered tea. Native Americans had multiple herbal teas whose recipes were passed down from generation to generation . These teas were used as hallucinogenics, relaxers, some were used to make people more brave, others just to cure a headache. The medicinal properties of boiling different roots and leaves into tea were a boon for the Native American society. This tea is typically known as the ‘black drink’ and it is drank in ceremonies where after its preparation, it is passed out to the person of the highest status first then the next highest status, and so forth. During each persons turn to drink, ritual songs may be sung. However, since I am originally from India, I will focus on how tea is made, served and how it has become a vital part of Indian culture. When looking at statistics across the globe, India is the second largest producer of tea just trailing China. It is the national drink of India and we consume about 30 percent of the global output of tea. Tea is a major part of many indian’s lives due to its varied applications. Firstly, the medicinal application, Herbal tea is a staple part of Ayurvedic treatment and has been for multiple years. In fact if you go to any Indian kitchen, you will find multiple plants which, when tea is made from them have multiple medicinal qualities. These herbs typically make bitter teas, but there are also herbs which enable the tea to have an amazing flavor and aroma which entices the drinker. The history of Tea in India can be traced back to 750-500 BC when it was clearly documented in the Ramayana. Today, Indians consume so much tea that over 70% of the team being made in India is consumed in India itself. The high demand for tea has caused this industry to experience a boom in technology and efficiency. In India, tea is made both at home and outside of home. People drink tea multiple times a day. If it is not available at home, you can go outside to multiple tea stalls that are everpresent in urban Indian society. Tea is typically served with both milk and sugar but the tea leaves are not prepared separately by being steeped. Instead, the tea leaves are boiled along with additions and then boiled again after the addition of milk and sugar. Sometimes the tea leaves themselves are used as flavouring. In many parts of the country, the most special tea is one where the tea leaves are boiled solely in milk. However, due to india being part of such a diverse society, there are many other popular variations, the majority of the tea drinkers in India drink milk tea.

Now onto the important stuff, my favorite tea drinking pokemon is Pikachu, just look at him hes so incredibly cute while doing so!

http://data1.whicdn.com/images/102363767/superthumb.jpg Heres one of him with his buddies!

http://www.imgderp.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2013/09/proper-starting-pokemon-700x393.jpg

I must say, the mustache looks quite fetching!