The Legend of Tea

Reflections on the legend and history of tea, the world’s most consumed beverage after water—and the joy of working with plants.

Shennog, the divine farmer, Guo Xu ca. 1503. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Summer in Tennessee is a lesson in beauty and discomfort. Hotter than the hinges on the gates of Hell, stickier than molasses, yet the land is the richest shade of green and the earth bursts with life. Venture to any Nashville farmer’s market in July, and the seasonal bounty includes the juiciest tomatoes you’ve ever eaten in your life.

I learned the rhythm of Middle Tennessee’s seasonal shifts intimately when I was twenty-two. Dressed in a big straw hat and a white, linen shirt to protect my arms, I drove out of the city every Saturday to a little farm in the hills. This week, we would be harvesting lavender and rose petals.

The previous year, I had been avidly listening to Tending Seeds, a podcast on homesteading and herbalism. I resonated with the host’s practicality and her science-based approach. There are many wonderful, knowledgeable herbalists out there—and there are also those who think raw milk is perfectly saf…