Tea leaves are derived from the plant Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub from the Theaceae family. In nature, it exists as two varieties: C. sinensis sinensis, which is native to China’s Yunnan province and surrounding Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, and C. sinensis assamica, which is native to the north Indian state of Assam. The sinensis variety nestles among Yunnan’s steep mountain slopes, growing in cool climes and elevations of up to 9,500 ft (2,900 m). The shorter growing season yields smaller crops of tender leaves, with the best harvests occurring in early spring. The assamica variety, on the other hand, thrives in the rich valleys of Assam, growing in tropical climes and yielding large, hardy crops.

From these two plant varieties, people have developed thousands of leaf types classified by harvest time, plucking style, and processing method. As trade and colonization spread tea across Afro-Eurasia, communities infused the drink with regional flavors and embraced it as part of their cultural fabric. From the practiced elegance of the Japanese tea ceremony 裏千家 (Chadō) to the vibrant flux of people and conversation at every roadside चायवाला (chaiwala), tea exemplifies the many ways communities show hospitality across the globe.

From elegant ceremonies to bustling roadside stalls, tea practices are important means of showing hospitality across Afro-Eurasia. 

Created by Naflah Mohammed through Duke Gardens’ Equity Through Stories Program. Naflah is a student in Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, planning to graduate in 2028 with a B.S. in Evolutionary Biology & B.A. in Public Policy.

See more plants from this project here.