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Tea is an aromatic stimulant, containing various polyphenols, essential oils, and caffeine.
The beverage is of the same genus as the important horticultural plant, Camellia, an evergreen prized for its particularly beautiful flowers. The tea plant itself is Camellia sinensis, a native of Southeast Asia. The tea brewed from the dried leaves of this plant has been drunk in China probably for thousands of years and certainly since the 10th century BC, from which time written records of its use survive. After the introduction of tea in 1657, Britain became the only European country of tea drinkers rather than coffee drinkers. In recent years, however, coffee has gained in popularity, challenging tea's status.