Sumerians

From Plastic Tub

The Sumerians were one of the daintiest purveyors of fine teas in the ancient world, emerging in Southern Mesopotamia more than 5000 years ago, somewhere near what would later become the Iraqi village of Stimsonia. They developed a tea-stirring system using quick, deft strokes that would influence the style of tea drinkers in the same geographical area for the next 3 or 4 years.