The only way I drink coffee is with some liqueur and cream to flavour it. I never could understand the global mania for java. As far back as memory can take me, I have been a tea-drinker, and except for an occasional hot chocolate or a recent predilection for Tim Horton's French Vanilla Cappuccino, I prefer tea and drink it clear. If there's a lemon around, I'll take a slice, since a run-in with America's ill-conceived notion of iced tea accidentally introduced me to the idea of not"tea with lemon. In Beijing, I find myself in the country of the world's best tea. Is there a better place to refine my taste"

　　In my home, Canada, my favourite tea was the blended Earl Grey. I knew the difference between herbal, flavoured, and a tisane. Along with boxes of Red Rose or Tetley, depending on what happened to be on special when tea was on my shopping list, some flavoured peach, apricot or blackcurrant bags were in my kitchen cupboard. Camomile, an herbal, was there too, as was Echinacea, for when I felt a cold coming on." Despite conflicting opinions from health professionals, by tradition, a cup of tea starts and ends my day. It's served before, during and after a meal, just before leaving or upon a return, to welcome guests or send them on their way, as a companion while at the computer or watching TV, as a pick me up at 10 o'clock or 3 o'clock. In a pinch, a cuppa can unwind a troubled mind, or ease a wheeze.

　　A new tea tree must grow five years before the leaves can be picked and a tree of 30 years has outlived its productivity and must be cut at the trunk to force new growth from the roots. If a tree becomes diseased or infected with pests, plants are removed, for the use of chemicals and pesticides is unwise. Organic fertilizers, such as compost or soya bean cakes replenish the soil. Before mechanization, a skilled worker harvested 600m grams of leaves a day. 1800 grams or 26,500 leaves produce 450 grams of finished tea.

　　Unlike the many festivals which celebrate blossoms or harvests of one kind or another, quiet, calm tea houses, across China attract regulars and host rituals daily, turning out hot tea exclusively as British pubs pour beer or Starbuck's serves up coffee."

　　In Japan, the ceremony is the thing,"where as in China, the focus is the tea, or more precisely, the senses of the tea."Saucers of leaves are passed to see, feel and sniff the colour, texture, size and fragrance. They'ree fresh and green, crinkled and dry, flat and whole, fragmented and brown, shriveled and hard. Except for the florals, there's not much scent until enough boiling water is poured to cover, when the essence of the tea is released. Only then is the cup or pot topped with water and allowed to steep for as long as it takes for the floating leaves to drift to the bottom. Hot water is added continuously. A good server knows when and how to keep the taste consistent. Tea is never drunk with milk, and rarely with sugar. A ritual may be the slow preparation of one kind of tea, or a series of cups to compare flavours."It may be accompanied by soft music, take place in exquisite tea rooms, or be a backdrop or centrepiece for quiet conversation or reading.

　　Where the learned and the cultured gather,

　　Where heavenly music calms the mind,

　　In the pursuit of literary wisdom,

　　Serenity unfolds in you,

　　Transposing you from the mundane,

　　Rising above it all.

　　This is your sanctuary.

　　Tang Dynasty Poet, Liu Yu Xi

　　There are several kinds of tea for the drinking, each with specific characteristics, easily identifiable and each with its own consumer following. The most popular tea in Beijing is Jasmine, preferred for its scent, rather than its flavour, seemingly because it tends to mask the city water."Chrysanthemum tea is enjoyed in ethnic restaurants as is the Muslim Eight Treasures Tea, a concoction of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, crystallized sugar and tea leaves, hot water impressively poured from a long-spouted copper kettle held at least 3 ft. away from the cup It goes without saying that the Chinese love Green (lu) tea, the leaves keeping colour without fermentation, Longjin and Maofeng being the most common. In China, many carry a bottle of tea, often cold, but a huge thermos of hot water is general issue in the workplace to keep flasks full. In a restaurant, a cup is usually presented with the menu and if necessary, the lid of a pot or mug is placed on the table to request more hot water.

　　Wulong or oolong tea is partially fermented and is a specialty in Fujian, Taiwan and the southeast area of China.

　　The most familiar tea to North Americans is black, frequently labelled orange pekoe, known in China as ted,"and not particularly popular. The leaves are fermented."This is the tea which is blended and flavoured to make other varieties. Lipton's Gold Label has captured the expat black tea market.

　　With the price of tea ranging from to a kilo, it may be a good idea to spend a pleasant afternoon of tasting and drinking in advice. A tin of Chinese tea is a tasty addition to a busy kitchen.