One of the most ancient of ingredients, tea has been drunk since the dynasties of China. With a force so valued it carved roads out of mountains, the drink made its way across continents. Wars, taxes and trade deals built empires and stoked revolutions. The processes for drying, fermenting and treating tea are many, though all come from the same plant. A vessel of flavors earthy, light and grassy as much as smoky, dark and rich, culinary applications pair wondrously when matched with like foods. Black Tea Cinnamon Rolls swirls a little in the filling. Smoked Tea Peanut Dipping Sauce makes for a surprisingly delicious accompaniment to Vietnamese Summer Rolls. Pork Belly with Darjeeling Demi-Glace takes an east meets west approach, as does Crème Brûlée with Lapsang Souchong Caramel. Learn how to grow, dry and blend your own tea, and take a walk through a 2-acre garden centering around a Japanese Teahouse in this issue.