Tea

First cultivated in China from the leaves of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) in the second millennia B.C., tea remains central to social and cultural life in East Asia. The increased popularity of tea drinking in 18th-century Europe spurred new forms of sociability, like teatime and the use of specialized table wares, while the economics of the tea trade drove international conflicts. Visitors to The Huntington can enjoy the beverage, encounter its botanical origins around campus, and learn the story of tea through the art and library collections.