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For nearly 4,000 years, women in what is now Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina performed sicanje—the word means, literally, “to prick”—on their daughters. Using needles and a mixture of soot, spit, honey, and breast milk, the tattooing tradition covered the hands, chest, and sometimes forehead with deeply symbolic patterns. In the mid-20th century however, it vanished. Now, a new generation of Balkan women—and men—is reviving the tradition as part of a larger trend to reclaim and celebrate their heritage.
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According to an ancient Chinese legend, the divine farmer, Shennong, first discovered tea when an errant leaf fluttered into his open mouth, bringing him back to good health. The myth speaks to the delicate leaf’s enormous power in Chinese culture and history. Since its cultivation 6,000 years ago, tea has transformed empires, religions, cultures, and morning routines—and on this nine-day journey, we’ll explore the cultivation, production, and preparation of Chinese tea while learning about the rich history in which it’s steeped.
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