An Accidental Invention

Did you know that tea, the most popular drink in the world (after water), was invented by accident? Many people believe that tea was first drunk nearly 5,000 years ago.     1    It is said that a Chinese ruler called Shen Nong first discovered tea as a drink.   One day Shen Nong was boiling drinking water over an open fire.     2    Some leaves from a tea plant fell into the water and remained there for some time.   It produced a nice smell so he tasted the brown water anyway. It was quite delicious. In this way,     3    世界上最受欢迎的饮品之一被发明了。

It is believed that tea was brought to Korea and Japan during the 6th and 7th centuries.     4    In England, tea didn't appear until around 1660, but less than100 years later. it had become the national drink. The tea trade from China to Western countries took place in the 19th century. This helped to spread the popularity of tea and the tea plant to more places around the world.     5    尽管现在很多人都了解茶文化, the Chinese are without doubt the ones who best understand the nature of tea.