2. The color and taste of tea depends on when it is picked and how it is processed. For example, green tea made from fresh buds picked in early spring will have a fresher flavor, while tea picked later in the year will have a stronger flavor.
3. In ancient China, there were many tea-related cultures, such as tea ceremony, tea art, tea songs and tea poems.
4. The Japanese tea ceremony, on the other hand, elevates the act of making tea to an art form, emphasizing etiquette, aesthetics, and spiritual experience. There are four main schools of tea ceremony in Japan, including Omotenashi, _Senka, Sho_Nakamura-ryu and Nihondo-ryu.
5. As early as the Tang Dynasty, tea became a popular cultural symbol, honored as a sign of nobility, and was also used as the subject of artwork. The "Tea Song" written by Tang Dynasty poet Han Yu is one of the famous tea cultures.
6. In Britain, afternoon tea is regarded as a social event, and is usually served around three o'clock in the afternoon. The traditional pairing of afternoon tea in Britain is pastries, sandwiches and tea.
7. In India, the tea tradition focuses more on spice pairings, such as masala tea, which is made by steeping tea leaves mixed with Indian spices, milk and sugar.
8. Tea can be used not only for drinking, but also for culinary and medical purposes. In China, for example, tea is used to make food such as tea eggs and tea candies, and it is also believed to have some health benefits.