夜深人静时，沏上一杯茶。透过蒸腾飘忽的水雾看它，婀娜多姿，清绿可人；而茶香亦随之若隐若现，于不经意间，沁人心脾。所谓“翠影微微杯底漾，芳津汩汩腹中流”，说的正是人生不可或缺的一大乐趣——品茶。

　　I used to go to Starbucks<注1> for their coffee, "says someone. "But that's changed since I discovered their soothing<注2>, tasty teas, which are better than coffee any time."

　　Goodbye coffee, hello tea. America's favorite morning, noon and night-time beverage has been pushed aside in favor of—yes, that's right—tea.<注3> Drinking tea is all the rage<注4> today.

　　Tea is cool even when it's hot. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. According to survey, 1.9 trillion cups of tea are consumed worldwide each year. And, we're not just taking about the plain old black breakfast brew<注5> anymore.

　　Whether it's served hot or cold, bottled or brewed, organic, herbal and flavored teas are trendy versions of a drink that has been consumed for centuries.<注6> Everywhere you look, you'll find exotic teas—in restaurants, grocery stores, television ads and gift shops. Even coffee bars are cashing in on<注7> the explosion. Oddly enough, there are even coffee-like teas out there. Take for instance, chai, an Indian mixture of black tea, exotic spices, steamed milk and honey. Sales of this trendy drink have tripled from million to million a year.

　　Tea has become so popular that it's often found as an ingredient in entrees<注8> served in some of the top restaurants throughout the country. For instance, some restaurants put a twist on the classic fried chicken by featuring a tea-soaked rotisserie chicken,<注9> and other restaurants braises strips of flank steak with tea-flavored satay sauce.<注10> And that's not all—teas are also popping up in vitamin-pill forms, lotions and perfumes.<注11> Elizabeth Arden<注12> recently introduced Green Tea perfume. Trendy? Sure it is. Profitable? You bet.

　　Okay, so why all the fuss over tea? What's its attraction? Well, there are many possibilities for tea's newfound popularity, beginning with an influx of research touting the benefits of drinking tea, particularly green tea. Studies show that drinking four cups of green tea a day can reduce the risk of developing stomach and lung cancer as well as heart disease. The key to tea's curative effects seems to lie in chemicals called polyphenols, which are antioxidants that may inhibit tumor growth and diminish arterial blockage.<注13> Green tea may also prevent skin cancer, when used both topically and orally. It has also been linked with helping the liver to rid the body of toxins, and green tea is thought to possibly protect against flu and Parkinson's disease.<注14>

　　There have even been reports touting the benefits of drinking good old-fashioned black tea. Although many of these studies are still inconclusive, society eats and drinks up the reports. And why not drink tea if there is a possibility it will prevent disease and prolong life? We all want to be healthy and happy—don't we?

　　Another explanation for the popularity of drinking tea may be due to the soothing ritual<注15> of just making a cup of tea, according to Ron Rubin, president at the Republic of Tea, a California-based company devoted to taking life "sip by sip, rather than gulp by gulp."

　　Rubin claims that the time it takes to steep tea leaves in hot water and savor its gentle flavor, which is kinder than that of coffee, forces drinkers to slow down and relax a while, making it the perfect antidote to a caffeine-charged, cappuccino-crazy world.<注16>

　　So, whether you drink tea, eat it in foods, lather<注17> it on in lotions, spray it on in perfumes or swallow it in pills, one thing is certain, the use of tea is more than a trend—it is a ritual of our past and if studies substantiate<注18> the benefit of its use, it will undoubtedly be an important element of our future.