Chinese tea green, oolong, black and post-fermented. Others add categories for scented and compressed teas. All of these come from varieties of the "Camellia sinensis" plant. Most Chinese teas are cultivated and consumed in China, however are also exported internationally due to a rise in the popularity of Chinese cuisine worldwide. It is commonly available in Chinese Restaurants and grocery shops worldwide. Green tea is the most popular type of tea consumed in China. Within these main categories of tea are vast varieties of individual beverages. Some researchers have counted more than 700 of these beverages. Others put the number at more
Camellia japonica a long time. One of the most important plants related to "Camellia japonica" is the "Camellia sinensis", which is the plant tea comes from. This plant is not usually grown in gardens because it has small white flowers, unlike the "Camellia japonica", which has larger, more beautiful flowers. It is not seen in art as often as the "Camellia japonica", but it is shown in a painting called the "Song Hundred Flowers" which hangs in the Palace Museum in Beijing. "Camellia sinensis" may have been used as medicine during the Shang Dynasty. It was first used for drinking during the