The story of tea begins in China. According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created.
The first tea used in England originated in China, and it wasn't until the 19th century that tea growing spread to Formosa and that indigenous tea was discovered in Assam. In 1839, the first Indian tea was sold in London.
China is considered to have the earliest records of tea consumption, with possible records dating back to the 10th century BC.
Chinese legends attribute the invention of tea to the mythical Shennong (in central and northern China) in 2737 BC, although evidence suggests that tea drinking may have been introduced from the southwest of China (Sichuan/Yunnan area). The earliest written records of tea come from China.
Ancient China: The Birthplace of Tea
The history of tea dates back to ancient China, almost 5,000 years ago. According to legend, in 2732 B.C. Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea when leaves from a wild tree blew into his pot of boiling water.
With many generations harvesting the same trees, Chinese farmers tend not to mess with what makes their tea famous. Tea isn't native to Japan, but tea farming has been an established Japanese craft since the 13th century.
The story of tea begins in China. According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water.
Asia has long tradition of tea-drinking. And China is no exception. However, lately more and more Chinese people are turning to a different drink. Coffee has become an increasingly popular choice of Chinese people living abroad and in the country's huge cities.
There are several types of Chinese tea, which vary in degree of fermentation and processing. The main classes of Chinese tea discussed below are green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea, dark tea or fermented tea and Pu'er tea.
Cultivation of tea began in British India during the early 1800s. By that time, Britain was already addicted to drinking tea, and had been importing massive quantities from China. So prized was this leaf that the English East India Company (successfully) fought wars to secure its supply.
Pre-colonial Tea Consumption: Ancient India and Trade Cities (1200s - 1600s) While tea drinking has only recently become widespread, the practice does have ancient origins in India. In the northeastern state of Assam, tea grew in the wild.
In the 1830s, the first tea estates were established in the Indian state of Assam, using tea plants brought from China.
All the tea in the world came from China, and Britain couldn't control the quality or the price. So around 1850, a group of British businessmen set out to create a tea industry in a place they did control: India.
Before the British East India Company turned its thoughts to tea, Englishmen drank mostly coffee.
Once upon a tea-time
How did tea come to England? It all began in China. By the time this wholesome drink made its way to England, tea drinking had been around in China for more than four thousand years! Until the mid 19th century, China was the only country on earth that knew how to cultivate and process tea.
Tea is a large part of modern Australian culture due to its British origins. Australians drink tea and have afternoon tea and morning tea much the way the British do.
The majority of Australians (56.1%) drink at least one cup of coffee in an average week, just under half of us (47.6%) drink tea and only 12.5% drink hot chocolate.
Turkey is the largest consumer of tea. According to sources, each Turk consumes approximately 1,300 cups (3.16kg) of tea annually. That translates to 3-4 cups daily, with the number of cups expected to rise to 10 during the freezing winter. In other words, this beverage forms an integral part of Turkish culture.
The researchers noted that women tend to drink more tea than men and, generally speaking, tea drinkers tend to have healthier lifestyles than coffee drinkers. Both of these factors might have influenced the findings in this study.
Black Tea. Perhaps the most famous, and most popular, tea in the world, black tea is a staple in many households. There are several types of black tea in the market, but Ceylon tea is widely considered to be one of the finest brews.
Chai is steeped in a rich history. The name “chai” is actually the Hindi word for “tea”, which was derived from “cha”, the Chinese word for “tea”. In this case, the Hindi term chai means a mix of spices steeped into a tea-like beverage. Recipes for chai vary across continents, cultures, towns and families.
In 1680 Madame de la Sabliere, served tea with milk at her famous Paris salon. She is traditionally ascribed to introducing the custom to Europe. It is also thought that the poor quality in tea had to be softened with the flavor of milk just to make it palpable.
The Buddhist monks Kūkai and Saichō may have been the first to bring tea seeds to Japan. The first form of tea brought from China was probably brick tea. Tea became a drink of the royal classes when Emperor Saga encouraged the growth of tea plants. Seeds were imported from China, and cultivation in Japan began.