Tea (A to Z Challenge, T)

Tea

Tea is one of the most widely traded and drunk beverages in the Sea of Stars with new types and blends being developed yearly.  Tea is a low weight but high value item well suited for transport by Sky Ships, it can be packed in boxes, tines or pressed into bricks.  Magic is even used to pack and seal tea for transport.

Tea is primarily grown in the lands of and near to the Jade Pillar Empire, indeed it is rumored that agents of the Jade Pillar have sought out and destroyed tea plantations outside of their sphere of influence.  If such rumors are true, they have not been entirely successful in eliminated distant fields of tea but they are fewer and smaller than one might expect.

A few magically enhanced strain of tea have been created that thrive in unlikely area, for example Blue Ice Tea is planted on the glaciers of Osilindan but it takes years to grow enough to be harvested and it is rare outside of its homeland.  Herbal blends, or tisanes, are found across the Sea of Stars especially among those who cannot pay the price of imported teas.

The Empress is said to enjoy a cup, or more, or tea each day which may account for part of it popularity.

Notes: Just a last minute piece to keep the A to Z on schedule and, well, tea is neat.

Photo from A Girl With Tea and used under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic lisense.