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What Does the Lily Say? Tea is for Terrific!

Tea: the most heavenly concoction on the planet. Tea is made from a celestial blend various herbs, leaves, and plants, to make the most incredible hot beverage known to man. As I drank my cup of tea, I noticed several ingredients: vanilla, citrus, lemon in particular, and black tea. I then thought of the vast and extensive history of tea: ancient Chinese emperors were the first to drink tea thousands of years ago for its medicinal qualities.

I then began to ponder, when did tea first reach North America all the way from Asia? As I began to research, I discovered that these several tea components, black tea and citrus, were exchanged between the Old World and the New World. Vanilla, on the other hand, was exchanged from the New World to the Old World. The New world consisted of North and South America, while the Old world consisted of Asia, Europe, and Africa. This diffusion of ingredients made it possible for North American tea fanatics like myself to engage in the glorious experience of drinking tea. History is certainly my "cup of tea"!