Tea is considered the drink of the nation; a good old proper cup of the well stewed beverage starts many a person\'s day with a slice of toast; perks them up midday with a chocolate covered digestive and adds a little bit of a mid-afternoon lift with a slice of cake. However, the drink is not just about Tetley\'s, Ty-Phoo and PG Tips, there are many different varieties that are savoured by connoisseurs the world over. From the white tipped pickings of the Camellia sinensis to a herbal brew of a Yerba Mate, tea has a rich history of ceremonial significance.

What many people don\'t realise is that white, yellow, green, oolong and black tea are all from the same plant, the Camellia sinensis, and the varieties are distinguished by their fermentation processes. Basically the lighter the tea, the less processing it has undergone. From picking to rolling and drying, each variety is treated differently to produce anything from a refreshing and delicate brew to a heavy and dark beverage that is best taken with milk and a spoonful of sugar.

Originating in the Chinese foothills, the plant has long been used for trade, and some of the finer brews were once worth so much money that only the wealthiest and most important people were able to get hold of it. During Victorian times the caddy was kept locked away to prevent the valuable contents being stolen by servants, a far cry from the cuppa we know today, available for as little as fifty pence in a polystyrene cup on a windswept promenade. It was the changes in trading, and the wide-spread uptake of tea growing that helped the drink become accessible to all. The plant is now brewed in most countries where the climate is favourable, but still the best is reserved for the ones who can afford it, and certainly wouldn\'t be something you\'d dunk a custard cream in.

Tea experts spend a considerable amount of time finding rare varieties, the taste of which is affected by the type of climate and the altitude of the area it is grown in. Special blends are made, and some of these are from plants that can only be harvested in small amounts in hard to reach places. To fully appreciate this type of brew it is best to adhere to one of the oldest tea making traditions in the world, the Chinese Tea Ceremony.

Although it depends on the formality of the occasion, the rule of thumb is that the more delicate the tea, the cooler the water should be. The drinking vessel and pot if one is being used should be warmed using the heated water, and then loose leaves should be carefully placed at the bottom of the brewing or drinking vessel. Using the heated water, rinse the leaves and drain the water into a cup ready for serving. This process can be repeated for several servings, sometimes being poured collectively into a second vessel to produce an even blend of tea.

These kinds of ceremonies are not restricted to China or the Camellia sinensis plant. Morocco has a long standing tradition of drinking mint tea. Although \'tea\' from any plant other than the Camellia sinensis cannot really be classed as proper tea, it is said to be a herbal infusion. Never the less, a drawn out process that involves lots of pouring from pot to cup and liberal amounts of sugar is regularly and ritually performed by Moroccans and is the drink of choice, bringing people together as a shared and social occasion. Much like us popping on the kettle and getting out the Hob Nobs when a friend is coming over.