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Charlene Wang de Chen

Charlene Wang de Chen is a New York City-based writer who is endlessly curious about tea and the intersection of food, culture and history. A former American diplomat, she is the founder of Tranquil Tuesdays, an online resource where she shares her Chinese tea expertise.

Green tea's enduring popularity is reflected in the "teacup without handle" emoji (left). The "hot beverage" emoji (right) takes its cue from another tea tradition: black tea.

What Emoji Tell Us About the History of Tea

From ancient China to 20th-century America, the aromatic beverage has undergone a dramatic evolution