In 2737 B.C., the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung was boiling drinking water over an open fire when leaves from a camelia sinensis plant floated into the pot. When he drank the water, he declared that it gave one “vigor of body, contentment of mind, and determination of purpose.” And so was born what is now, after water, the most widely consumed drink in the world—tea. There are lots of tea varieties available in the market nowadays, but how do you know which one would suit your fancy?

Brush up on tea 101 and get to know the four types by scrolling through the gallery below.

(First published as “Fit to a Tea” in the “Food” section of Good Housekeeping Philippines’ July 2001 issue. Adapted for use in Female Network. Photo by A Girl With Tea via Flickr Creative Commons.)