The reporters at the press conference were on the edge of their seats as Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan's federal minister for planning and development, took to the stage. How was he going to save the country's struggling economy? Would he announce a big new loan? What about a bailout for the banks? 

But the answer, when it came, was neither a loan nor a bailout. Instead, Iqbal stood up and made a heartfelt plea to the nation: stop drinking so much tea. 

"The tea we import is imported by taking a loan," he told the crowd. Everyone could help out by drinking one or two cups fewer per day. 

At a tea stall in Islamabad's Aabpara market, customers reacted with outrage. "This is my addiction," declared Muhammad Ibrahim, a baker who drinks 12 cups of tea every day. "I take three, four cups in the morning, then three in the afternoon and three, four late night."

There is no doubt: tea is a serious business in Pakistan. In 2020, the South Asian nation bought more than £536m worth of tea from abroad. Black, green, hot, cold, sweet, salted and spiced teas are all drunk by thirsty Pakistanis - although the most common variety is made by brewing leaves in boiled sweetened milk. 

But Pakistanis were not the first to develop a passion for tea. Almost 5,000 years ago, in 2737BC, the legendary Chinese Emperor ShennongA mythical ruler of China, said to have lived around 4,500 years ago. As well as discovering tea, he is also credited with various agricultural inventions, such as the axe, plough and the digging of wells.  discovered tea by accident when a tea leaf drifted from his garden into a pot of boiling water. Slowly, the drink made its way to neighbouring countries like Japan and Korea. 

Centuries later, on 25 September 1660, as Britain ended a six-year war with Spain and contemplatedThought about or considered.  a new one with the Dutch, the diarist Samuel Pepys was discussing foreign affairs with a friend. "I did send for a cup of tee, (a China drink) of which I had never drunk before," he later wrote. 

This was one of the first ever mentions of tea in England, a country which went on to be one of its biggest champions. Or so historians thought - until a note was found in Yorkshire ordering a bottle of tea from an apothecaryA historic medical professional.. It is dated 8 December 1644, more than a decade before tea was thought to have arrived in Britain.

By the late 1700s, tea was so valuable that criminals began selling bags filled with twigs and sawdust. One London village reportedly produced more than 20 tons of fake tea in a year, made using a recipe containing ash leaves and sheep dung. 

Now, tea is drunk across the globe, second only to water in its popularity. Many cultures have developed their own rituals and unique traditions. In Tibet, salt and yak butter are added to the brew, while in Pakistan, Kashmiri tea is a blush pink colour.

There may be health benefits, too. In 2019, one studyThe study conducted two tests on 50 students. At the beginning of the experiment, half were given a cup of tea, and half a glass of water. The groups were then given creative challenges, like coming up with a "cool" name for a noodle restaurant. claimed that a cup of tea instantly boosts creativity. Another project in 2015 found that tea drinkers tend to live longer than non-tea drinkers.

For now, Pakistani's tea drinkers have been left high and dry. If the tea limits continue, tempers may start to fray. As one Japanese author put it, for many "tea... is a religion of the art of life". 

Yes: Tea has a colourful history, numerous health benefits and unlike coffee, an amino acid which means it releases its caffeine slowly throughout the day, countering any increases in anxiety.

No: Forget boring tea, or bitter coffee. They pale in comparison to one of capitalism's sweetest success stories: Coca Cola. It is loved worldwide as a symbol of freedom. No drink can compete.

Or... The answer is subjective. No one group or culture can claim to have the "best" drink. For some, tea is a magical elixirA medicinal or magical potion. . For others, it is no more than an irrelevant afterthought.