That most gracious of afternoon activities – the quaint tea party with delicate sandwiches, slices of sugary cake, and a pot of hot “cuppa” – may have a sturdy British pedigree. But long before the British in the early 1800s turned tea drinking into a social event, the Chinese, and later the Japanese, had already ritualized and popularized this beverage. Read on to learn about the royal origins of tea as well as three tasty tea-worthy recipes.

The Origins of Tea
According to the late British expat author John Blofeld – who spent most of his life traipsing across China in the early- to mid-twentieth century – the Chinese unequivocally were the first people to discover and tame the tiny furled leaves of the tea shrubs, brewing them to form a near mystical beverage with its worldwide devotees still very active today. In fact, one very upscale hotel in Washington, DC, has its own tea cellar (called the Tea Cellar) with its own tea sommelier.

Get the recipes: Afternoon Tea Recipes: Masala Chai, Tempeh Tea Sandwiches, and Limoncello Tea Cake | Sheknows.com