Only water is rated higher in world consumption than tea. It is estimated that somewhere between 18 and 20 billion 6 oz. An extension of numbers would indicate that the United States only imports enough tea annually to keep world usage rates going for 2 days. Some of us who have been around for a long time in the tea industry still call it by its now out-dated name of Thea sinensis . The exact processing of the leaf is described in another area of THE TEA MAN, so please refer to that section for specifics.
Tea is a stimulant, a very mild stimulant, since it contains caffeine.
It contains fewer miligrams of caffeine per equal-sized cup than does coffee, but more than cocoa. These compounds which combine to produce the delicate and sought-after nuance flavors of tea cannot be determined chemically by analysis of the tea. All tea analysis comes out basically the same regardless of the variety or where in the world the tea is grown. It is in the well-developed palate of tea devotees that this decision of goodness is allowed to rest its case. As with many things we ingest, moderation and restraint are watchwords.