The story goes that almost 5000 years ago, the Emperor Shen Nong was drinking hot water when a single leaf fell into his cup. He didn't notice the leaf, and when he drank, he found that he enjoyed the resulting infusion. While this story is apocryphal, the history behind tea is long and rich, covering thousands of years and much of both the Eastern and Western world. From green to black, jasmine to oolongs, white to pu-erh, tea is incredibly varied, and that's still before getting into the many different brewing methods. This class will primarily focus on the Chinese tea tradition, discussing both the types of tea produced and the techniques behind them, as well as the methods of preparation, both traditional and modern, that allow one to brew the best cup of tea from a batch of leaves. There will be samples of a couple different teas, in case anyone needs a little caffeine to get them through their next Paideia class. Instructor: Haven Davis