Chinese Teapot: "Yixing"

Yixing teapots originate from the Yixing region in eastern China. These teapots date back to the Sung Dynasty (960-1279) when purple clay was first discovered. Purple clay contains natural minerals that allow for particular coloration. Yixing teapots flourished through the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1573 - 1911). The pots were originally shipped to Europe by the Dutch East India Trading Company in 1610. The clay can absorb the tea flavor with continued usage. The fired clay contains tiny air pockets which provide insulation and enhanced aroma and taste of the tea.

The gongfu tea set consists of a teapot, smelling cups and tea cups. The teapot is first heated with hot water and the water is discarded. The pot is then filled about half full with tea leaves. Hot water is then poured over the leaves to fill the pot. The tea leaves are steeped for one minute. The smelling cups are then filled about half full and then the tea is discarded, but the empty cup is offered to the guests to enjoy the aroma of the tea. Then the tasting cups are filled about 70 percent full and the tea is consumed. Subsequent steepings are slightly longer.

The tea plant is an evergreen of the Camellia family that is native to China, Tibet and northern India . There are two main varieties of the tea plant. The small leaf variety, known as Camellia sinensis, thrives in the cool, high mountain regions of central China and Japan. The broad leaf variety, known as Camellia assamica, grows best in the moist, tropical climates found in Northeast India and the Szechuan and Yunnan provinces of China. Tea grows mainly between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, requiring up to 40 inches of rain per year, as well as a temperature ideally between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, 10 to 30 degrees centigrade,.

Most tea plants have a growth phase and a dormant period, usually during the winter. The leaves are plucked as the new tea shoots (or "flush") emerge. In hotter climates, the plants have several flushes and can be picked year-round.
Source:
http://www.food-info.net/uk/products/tea/history.htm
https://qz.com/1176962/map-how-the-word-tea-spread-over-land-and-sea-to-conquer-the-world