---
name: Tea
molecule: C8H10N4O2
compound: "Caffeine"
era: Ancient
origin: China
archetype: Milady
ancestor: Chinese, Japanese
swag_score: 4
image: "https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/milady_chinese_japanese_tea.webp"
date_added: "2025-01-12"
---

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/milady_chinese_japanese_tea.webp" alt="Tea" width="320" />
</div>


# Tea

## Effects & Properties

**Effects:** Enhanced alertness, improved focus, mild euphoria, and reduced
sleepiness. It can improve cognitive performance and reaction time in low to moderate doses
(50-200mg). Physically it can increase heart rate, elevate blood pressure, mild diuresis, and in
some cases jitteriness or tremors.

**Natural Occurrence:** Caffeine is synthesized by plants as a
secondary metabolite to protect against insects and pathogens. It is present in seeds, leaves,
and fruits, with concentrations varying by species and environmental factors.

- Coffee beans contain 1-2% caffeine by weight.

- Tea leaves contain 2-5% caffeine varying by type.

- Cocoa beans contain small amounts of caffeine alongside theobromine.

- Found also in other plants such as kola nuts, guarana, and yerba mate.
**Appearance:** In coffee beans, it is part of a
dark brown, roasted seed matrix; in tea it is in dried green or black leaves, in guarana it is in
reddish seeds. These forms are not pure caffeine but contain it as a component.

## History

Tea drinking originated in China, traditionally attributed to Emperor Shen Nung in 2737 BCE, though historical evidence firmly places tea culture in the Yunnan province by at least the 3rd century CE. Tea became central to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultural practice, with Japanese tea ceremony (chado) developing into a refined art form from the 15th century onward under the influence of Zen Buddhism. The British East India Company's tea trade transformed global geopolitics, contributing to the Opium Wars with China and the American Revolution, making tea one of the most historically consequential psychoactive substances.

## Connections

**Archetype:** [Milady](../../../core-lore/archetypes.md#milady)

**Ancestor:** [Chinese](../../../core-lore/ancestors/chinese.md), [japanese](../../../core-lore/ancestors/japanese.md)

**Tarot Card:** [Knight of Pentacles](../../../core-lore/tarot-cards/knight-of-pentacles.md)

**PubChem:** [Caffeine](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Caffeine)

**Paired With:** [Caffeine](caffeine.md)

## Sources

- https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/caffeine/caffeine.shtml
- https://www.britannica.com/science/caffeine
- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Caffeine
- [History of tea - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tea)
- [History of tea in China - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tea_in_China)
- [Japanese tea ceremony - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_tea_ceremony)
- [Boston Tea Party - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Tea_Party)
- [Opium Wars - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars)
- [East India Company - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company)