Charleston Tea Plantation, America’s lone commercial black tea grower, crowns a century‑and‑a‑half quest to naturalize Camellia sinensis on South Carolina’s Lowcountry plains. Through climate gambles, labor dilemmas, federal retreats, and corporate exits, Fleming and Hall pursue premium, pesticide‑free “American Classic Tea,” courting Wal‑Mart shelves and loyal iced‑tea traditionalists.

In Boulder’s leafy heart, the Dushanbe Teahouse gleams—a hand-carved Tajik gift, shipped whole from Central Asia. Vivid facades and painted ceilings shelter carpets, topchans, and Nizami’s “Seven Beauties.” Here, Persian-inspired cuisine and impeccable leaf teas restore an endangered artistic lineage. Visit, linger, steep, and taste this improbable silk-road jewel.