My Stance on the Issue

While pouring water in a mug, over a green tea bag, I spilled a little on the office carpet. My boss scolded me, as he is obsessive about the condition of the carpet (even though we are going to re-carpet the office soon). I told him not to worry, that it was only water.

Then I began to wonder, if the water is poured over a tea bag, is it still water or has it become tea? When does tea begin? Is the line between dried leaves and healthy green tea divided by the second water touches teabag or is there more to it? Personally, I don’t call hot water with a smack of tea flavor “tea”—to me, tea needs time to steep, to cultivate, to form. (At least four minutes.) Otherwise, that ain’t tea and I have no problem throwing out hot, flavorless water that just happens to have a tea bag sitting in it for the first trimester.