How do you take your tea my dear?

Got into a debate at work the other day about the best way to drink your tea. Crikey - people get really passionate about these sort of things! Some people prefer to put the tea in first, others the milk first and then the tea. Each camp insists that their way is the best.

Tea has been around for more than two thousand years, and during this time it has developed into a complex and unique part of daily life. There are many varieties of tea today, however the pleasure that it gives to millions around the world ensures that it remains a loved ritual. For many it is considered a tactile, sensory experience - one to be enjoyed and celebrated either with others or on your own.

Tea has a long and often turbulent history - one filled with intrigue, violence and faraway lands of rich and complex histories. From what can be established, tea first started appearing in Assam (a province of Northern India), Yunnan Province (south western China) and along the border with Burma. In some remote areas of China there are still ancient tea trees said to be over 5000 years that still produce tea to this day!

Tea is not used just for drinking but in homeopathic remedies where it was boiled along with other plants and bark to make various remedies. Over the centuries and course of many wars including the famous Boston Tea Party, tea has endured and developed into one of the most popular social rituals in the world.

My view is its tea and I don't care how I take it, as long as it isn't milky!