Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, after water. Its discovery is attributed to the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, a skilled ruler and scientist. According to legend, while he was sitting beneath a tree, his servant boiled drinking water when some dried leaves from a wild tea bush fell into the pot. The Emperor decided to try the infusion and found it incredibly refreshing. This tree was the Camellia sinensis. From this accidental beginning, tea became a staple of Chinese culture, eventually evolving into the complex ceremonies seen in Japan and the daily 'afternoon tea' rituals in Britain. Whether it is black, green, white, or oolong, all 'true' teas come from this same plant species; the difference lies entirely in how the leaves are processed and oxidized.