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The Why Factor: Why Does the World Love Drinking Tea?

Why Does the World love Drinking Tea?

18/09/2015 GMT

Why Does the World Love Drinking Tea?

BBC World Service - The Why Factor, Why Does the World Love Drinking Tea?

Why tea is the second most popular drink in the world after water.

Tea is the second most popular drink in the world after water. Mike Williams asks how this Asian leaf conquered the globe.

Tea comes in many guises - milky, sweet and spicy for those in India. The Chinese drink it as nature intended green with no milk and strong with two sugars for the average British builder. So how did this Asian leaf conquer the world to become the second most consumed drink after water? Mike Williams slurps and sips his way through this cup of calm to find out how this unassuming shrub conquered the world.  

(Photo: Preparations for the Chinese Tea Ceremony, at Chaya Tea House, London)

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