Professor says the study of leaves is now just his cup of tea

Xia Tao, a 51-year-old professor of tea science at Anhui Agricultural University, has been taking four tea breaks every day for decades.

"Tea drinking used to affect my sleep when I was young," he says, laughing. He has a booming voice with a hint of an Anhui accent. "But after decades of drinking tea daily, it does not have such an effect on me any longer."

Xia graduated with a major in tea science in 1983. He is now one of the leading authorities in China's tea science field, especially in tea processing.