Legendary Tea

There is a popular legend about the discovery of tea as a drink that goes all the way back to China in 2700 BC. In the story, the Emperor, Shen Nung, was drinking boiled water. The emperor was concerned about his hygiene so he insisted that his water be boiled if he was to drink it. The water was turned a deep shade of brown after some leaves from a tree fell into the cup. The emperor was curious about the color and decided to drink the water. Shen Nung was an advocate of herbal medicine, so this wasn't the first time he had tasted something made from a plant. After drinking the "tea" Shen Nung felt all the aches and pains in his body go away.

Camellia Sinesis is the plant that tea is made from and is indigenous to China, India, and assorted parts of Southeat Asia. It wasn't till the sixth century that the uses of tea were known in other parts of the globe aside from China.

In one such fable, the Indian Prince Bhodidharma, who was known in China as Ta-mo and in Japan as Daruma, travelled from South India to China to advocate Buddhism. The prince had vowed that he would meditate without sleeping for nine whole years. He did this for five years, but when he got drained he picked leaves from a tree and began to chew them. He was able to proceed his meditation because the leaves were from a tea tree and they gave him the vigor he needed to go on. Prince Bhodidiharma's practice of meditating for lengthy periods, while drinking tea to remain alert, is said to be the foundation of Zen Buddhism.

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Morocco

At a Moroccan restaurant, dessert will oftentimes be served with hot green tea that has been flavored with spearmint and sugar. The tea most oftentimes chosen is Chinese gunpowder green which is served in a glass. All the utensils such as a silver teapot, a brass hammer for sugar, and silver boxes of tea, mint, and sugar, are set out on a low table before the start of a Moroccan tea ceremony. These ingredients are then steeped in boiling water. Each person has three glasses for the tea. The pot is raised high above the glass while pouring. This is not only for effect, but likewise to oxygenize the tea, and it results in a bit of froth on top of the tea. The guests are served a glass of tea over their meal. With each subsequent glass of tea, more water and sugar are added to the pot, but no more tea.

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English Tea

The model for how tea is celebrated today is the centuries old tradition of afternoon tea established by the British. The British usually add milk to their tea, or add tea to some milk. The ritual of 'milk first' is said to create a smooth blend of milk and tea, while that of 'milk last' is said to pleasant the tea slightly for easier sipping and prevent damaging the leaves with extremely hot water. Some think that whether or not the milk is added first or last can indicate a person's social class. The working classes added their milk first, while the upper classes added it after the tea had been poured. It is thought that this happened because lower classes could not afford high quality cups so the milk was added first to prevent the cups from cracking. However it is chosen to add the milk in, it is oftentimes most fantastic to add the milk to a strong black tea if it has too much bite because it will calm the tannins. However it is becoming very popular to add milk to all sorts of teas to create lattes.

Both high and low teas can be enjoyed for afternoon tea. High tea used to be called meat tea and it was had at the end of lengthy workday with family in the lower classes. Low tea was a light meal or snack, enjoyed by the British upper classes in the late afternoon to tide them over till their more substantive dinner in the evening. Low tea was frequently a social event, enjoyed in the company of friends and associates. Even the type fo table used for serving high and low tea could be used to distinguish the two. High tea would be consumed in a high dining room table, while low tea was served in a sitting room with a lower table such as a coffee table.
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More fun tea facts here