Tea is officially endorsed by the NonDef team as one of our beverages of choice. It's humble, yet has lofty beginnings steeped in Chinese mythology. You'll know that the cup of tea's beginnings were immortalised in Chinese poet Lu Yu's poem The Classic of Tea from around 760 CE. It doesn't exist any more, conveniently, so here's Huangfu Zheng's poem about Lu Yu:
A Thousand mountains will greet my departing friend, When the spring teas blossom again. With such breadth and wisdom, Serenely picking tea— Through morning mists Or crimson evening clouds— His solitary journey is my envy. We rendezvous at a remote mountain temple, Where we enjoy tea by a clear pebble fountain. In that silent night, Lit only by candlelight, I struck a marble bell— Its chime carrying me A hidden man Deep into thoughts of ages past.
— "The Day I Saw Lu Yu off to Pick Tea
Listen to our show, which features music from the Kinks (of course), to Flying Lotus, and Art Tatum.
