Shu-Chuan Wang-McGrath loves tea. She drinks it every day and travels the world to purchase it. And as a communication studies and languages professor at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), she uses tea to teach students about culture and history.
Wang-McGrath starts by explaining the two different pronunciations of tea: “cha” and “tea.” The origin of the two words dates back to the Silk Road and the method by which tea leaves were exported to a given region. For example, if tea was delivered by land, the region most likely says “cha;” if tea was delivered by sea, the region most likely says “tea.” She says a few exceptions include Japan and Korea, where people say “cha” due to the influence of the Chinese Han dynasty upon both regions.
All tea comes from the same plant; Wang-McGrath restates this fact many times during the class. She says the different varieties and shapes of tea come from the way the plants are planted, harvested, roasted, aged and processed…
