Tea Story

Did you know that if tea is not "your cup of tea", that you are officially in a minority as tea is officially mankind's favorite hot beverage. And is second only to water as humanity's most drunk liquid.

Or did you know that the history of tea drinking dates back 4 thousand years? And that the leaves of the tea plant are intertwined with everything from Eastern European folklore, for example reading fortunes through tea leaves, to Europe's emergence as a global commercial power.

And that they were one of the seeds of the American Revolution, when, at the infamous Boston Tea Party, British overtaxed tea was dumped off the dock by the disgruntled colonials.

The tea we drink today is derived from Camellia sinensis, an evergreen plant of the Theaceae family.

And, indigenous to China and India, both cultures have a claim to its early usage.

History

Tea history started in ancient China.

The first written reference to tea appeared in 350 A.D. defined as "a beverage made from boiled leaves."
The first difinitive study in tea history was written by Lu Yu in 780 A.D.

The 3 volume book entitled "Ch'a Ching" or "Tea Classic" covered everything related to tea from the proper techniques to growing plants to brewing tea.

The word "tea" originated from the Chinese word tu.
Today it is an almost universal descriptor.
But is pronounced differently in many different dialects and languages.

"Tea tempers the spirit and harmonizes the mind; dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue,
awakens thought and prevents drowsiness"

Lu Yu

Tea Story - China

Tea drinking, like many other staples of the modern world, including gunpowder, was invented by the ancient Chinese over 4,000 years. The Emperor Nun Shen, a scholar and herbalist, was kneeling beside a fire, boiling water for purer drinking. Read more...

Tea Story - India

India's tea story starts with a saintly priest named Bodhidharma. 2,000 years ago, the founder of Zen Buddhism was in the fifth year of a seven year sleepless contemplation of enlightenment. Read more...

Tea Story - Japan

The first tea seeds were brought to Japan by the returning Buddhist priest Yeisei, who had seen their value in China for enhancing religious mediation. Read more...

Tea Story - Europe

Tea reached Europe from China and Japan in 1610 when Dutch traders brought leaves back as a luxury item alongside spices and silks. Read more...