Chinese have been drinking tea for thousands of years, and it has long been a routine part of daily life. It appears in the traditional Chinese list of "essential items" for the kitchen, right up there with rice, soy sauce, oil, firewood, salt and vinegar. The late Lin Yutang described it as "a widespread custom that has added much color to everyday life of the people."
喝茶，人人都會，柴米油鹽醬醋茶，中國人喝了數千年的茶，是幽默大師林語堂所形容的「一個為國民日常生活增色不少的普遍習慣」。