The calorie-free beverage steeped from leaves is quite literally our cup of tea -- or more precisely, our glass of tea.

Years before trendy cafes put ice into coffee and christened it with an exotic-sounding name, there was iced tea. Today, more than eight out of every 10 servings of tea we take in the U.S. are chilled.

"Consumers like the taste. It is light and refreshing," said Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Association of the USA. "Plus, it is increasingly associated with a great many health benefits."

Richard Blechynden is commonly credited for popularizing the summertime beverage more than a century ago, when he was manager of the Indian tea pavilion at the St. Louis World's Fair.

Blechynden served black tea over ice to great fanfare in 1904, though cookbooks dating back to the early 19th century show that American housewives already had been enjoying chilled tea as an ingredient in summertime punches.

Taiwan Promoting Agricultural Products Via Online System

Taiwan has been introducing a variety of agricultural products to foreign buyers via an online system at various international trade fairs, an official said Sunday.

For example, such service will be available at the Fine Food Australia 2007, which is scheduled to be held Sept. 24-27 at the Convention and Exhibition Center Darling Harbor in Sydney, Australia, the official said. .