In my own hands I hold a bowl of tea; I see all of nature represented in its green color. Closing my eyes I find green mountains and pure water within my own heart. Silently sitting alone and drinking tea, I feel these become a part of me...

(Soshitsu Sen, Grand Master XIV, Urasenke School of Tea).

Tea is the world's most popular beverage. There are probably as many ways of making and drinking it, as there are tea drinkers! Here are some of the most unusual ways in which tea is drunk --

*The Chinese and Japanese drink green tea and light black tea sometimes scented with jasmine.

*Europeans add milk and sugar to a light liquor of black tea.

*Indians boil it with a lot of milk, sometimes spices and a lot of sugar to make what is recognized the world over as Chai.

*The Tibetans lace their version with yak butter.

*Tea pickers in Darjeeling have theirs cold, with milk and salt.

*The Moroccans flavour their tea with mint, basil, or sage.

*The Americans drink it cold and black as iced tea.

*The Russians actually add jam into it