The most widely consumed beverage on the face of the earth, its virtues are well known: Tea heals, quenches, sustains, tells stories, brings cultures together and introduces intricate rituals. In Japan, there was a Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma, who vowed to spend nine years in meditation. In the fifth year, he experienced extreme tiredness and found himself dozing. He became angry with his weakness and in a fit of rage tore off his eyelids, tossing them to the ground. Where his eyelids landed, a tea plant immediately sprouted. He then made an infused beverage with the plant leaves and water, and successfully completed his meditation. In China, there was a legendary emperor, Shen Nung, who is credited for many inventions and defining herbal medicine. He habitually boiled his drinking water; and while doing so one day, a leaf fell into the pot. The resulting drink was not only pleasant but stimulating and became an important part of his herbal medicine. Tea began to travel as a trade item in the 5th century, between the Turkish traders to Mongolia and Tibet. It made its way to Japan in the 6th century, along with Buddhism, leading to the planting of tea by the Buddhist monks in the 7th century. Tea arrived in the west via overland trade to Russia and to Holland via Japan. From Holland, tea spread rapidly throughout Europe. In the New World, tea appeared throughout the newly colonized territories and was popular until the taxation issues lead to the Boston Tea Party in 1773, causing tea to be associated with British imperialism. Today it is consumed world wide with Ireland at the top. Six billion pounds or 1.9 trillion cups of tea are sipped each year. The history of this colorful beverage will continue to entwine with the history of humanity.