Tea is a plant that is cultivated extensively across the world. The use of its leaves in an infusion was wide spread long before it made its way to the West and long before it became the focus of scientific study, taking on significant political and economic importance for the countries involved in its trade. Prescribed by apothecaries and used in temples during sessions of meditation, it helped to inspire artists, poets and potters and travelled with the caravans to the most remote regions of Asia.