For hundreds of years people from countries all across the world have savored it both for its health properties and for its unique flavor.
Tea has been a main part of people's diets in the eastern world as well as of places in the west, like Great Britain.
Today it remains a main staple in the modern American diet, at least in part due to the versatility of its flavor properties.
Some types of tea are beloved because they serve as the ideal accompaniment to finger sandwiches and petit fours at a traditional afternoon garden tea party, while other types of tea are savored for their ability to help bring a sense of calm and rejuvenation after a difficult day.
Some people choose to start their daily routine with a strong cup of Black tea, while others relax and unwind with a night cap of Chamomile Tea.
Tea blends can be purchased in a vast array of flavor blends, all of which are all-natural, and many of which are herbal-based.
While they are often enjoyed solely for their taste and other properties, many teas are rich in antioxidants.
Teas potent in these extremely important natural substances are able to help shield the body from chemical free-radicals in the atmosphere, and to help it defend itself against the potential onset of many types of cancer.
Green tea has long been thought to be one of the most potent in terms of antioxidants, and as a result it has been the subject of much scientific study in recent years.
Recent studies have suggested that there may even be a link between the presence of green tea in the Japanese diet and the country's overall lower rate of cancer.
While it has never been doubted that tea has numerous potential health benefits, it has only recently been discovered that its common counterpart, coffee, may also have health properties which are beneficial for the human mind and body.
In the past decade scientists have begun to analyze the chemical composition of the coffee bean, and, as a result, have found that dark coffee, like tea, is very rich in antioxidants.
Due to recent studies it has been suggested that daily coffee drinking may help with memory preservation and with the prevention of certain types of common cancer.
For decades coffee drinks have been enjoyed both for their potent caffeine properties and for the unique, bold flavor of the black coffee bean.
Many people enjoy sharing a good cup of cappuccino with an old group of friends, while others savor their daily break from work with a cup of dark, bold espresso.
Thus whether it is enjoyed for its delicious, smooth flavor or for the rejuvenation it provides, coffee is beloved by thousands of Americans.
Just as tea comes in a vast array of herbal blends, coffee drinks come in a variety of flavors.
And although coffee and tea share many properties and characteristics, coffee is unique in that the taste that is derived from coffee beans will always reflect the soil properties and climate of where they were grown.
A coffee brewed from a bean that is grown in one part of the world will have a very different flavor from one brewed from the same bean, grown elsewhere in the world.
Another significant difference between tea and coffee is that coffee is more often enjoyed with more additives and condiments.
While tea is typically savored with just a bit of sugar or milk, coffee drinks often come with a vast array of additives, such as different types of milk, sweetener, or syrup.
Thus while both tea and pure coffee have many nutritional properties, many coffee drinks provide a less healthy alternative to tea because they are often in calories, fat, and sugar.
While both coffee and tea possess numerous flavor and nutritional benefits, any fan of either will be sure to tell you that the two are quite different in many ways.