History of Tea

The rich history of the world’s second most consumed beverage (water is first) begins nearly 5000 years ago in 2737 BC. As legend tells, the discovery was an accident. Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung was resting under the Camellia bush when some tea leaves fell into his pot of boiling water. The leaves created an aroma that intrigued him and so he tasted it. He liked it so much he finished the entire pot.

For several centuries tea was used for primarily medicinal purposes: to improve concentration and alertness, and to cure various ailments. But because it was also a refreshing drink, it soon gained popularity and became a staple in the Chinese home. In fact, it became so popular that the Chinese government required the cultivation of tea as well as stringent restrictions; women who handled the leaves were not allowed to consume strong smelling foods for fear that the scent would come through their fingertips and effect the tea leaves.

The Book of Tea

By 700 AD tea had become the national drink of China. In 780, poet-scholar Lu Yu wrote Ch’a Ching, the quintessential first book about tea. Lu Yu’s extensive research resulted in this book detailing everything from cultivation of the tea leaves to the rituals of tasting it. His writings prompted the art of drinking tea. Soon after Lu Yu’s important book, the popularity of tea spread even more and many begin using tea as a form of currency.

Introduction to Japan

Japanese Buddhist monks, who came to China to study, were introduced to tea as a way to help them stay alert during extensive meditation. Tea became an important facet of the monks’ lives in the monastery for centuries to come.

By the15th Century, tea has become a significant aspect in Japanese culture and the Tea Ceremony is born based on the philosophies of Zen Buddhism. The ceremony involves elaborately practiced methods of preparing and consuming tea. It is an art incorporating the key characteristics of Japanese philosophy such as harmony, purity, respect, and tranquility. The Tea Ceremony became such an important part of Japanese culture that special tea rooms were constructed in gardens and women were required to master the art of the tea ceremony before they could marry.

The tea ceremony did undergo a brief time of derision. Tea tournaments pitted competitors against each other to see who could host the best tea ceremony; prizes were awarded to the winners. These contests ran contrary to the philosophical and spiritual intentions of the tea ceremony and it was soon abolished.

Western Expansion

Tea gained immediate popularity in Russia when this exotic drink was given as a gift from China to Tsar Alexis of Russia. A camel trade route is created to meet the demands of Russian tea drinkers. Each year over 3.5 million pounds of tea is brought in on the backs of camels.

Europe finally tasted tea when the Dutch and Portuguese shipped it there in 1610. Only a few years after coffee arrived in England, tea arrived in coffeehouses and is first introduced to the public. This, in addition to the influence of the new Queen, Catherine of Braganza, who loved her tea and always provided it to aristocratic friends and diplomats, escalated the drink quickly to the beverage of choice, even over wine and alcohol. Because of the loss of liquor sales tax, Britain imposed a tea tax. The taxation and the general cost of imported luxuries such as tea meant only the wealthy could enjoy tea.

Meanwhile, Chinese growers saw huge demand and discovered they could ferment the leaves by baking, therefore preserving them. “Black” tea was born. This new tea was able to keep its aroma and flavor longer than the green teas and could manage the long journeys required to export to other countries.

By the 1700’s the British Royal Family chartered the East India Company which soon became the most powerful monopoly over all trade made throughout Asia, India, Russia, and eastern Africa. By 1750 the primary commodity was tea.

Boston Tea Party

Although tea had been introduced to America in the 1600’s, it is in the 1700’s when popularity of the new drink mounted. As in Europe, tea replaced liquor as the beverage of choice. In 1767 the British Government taxed the tea and triggered a revolt by the colonists. They began by refusing to buy tea or allowing ships to enter and unload, but by 1773 the revolution escalated. One December night, angry colonists dressed as Native Americans and infiltrated the ships in the Boston Harbor, throwing over 300 chests of tea into the sea. This famous American revolt, the Boston Tea Party, was one of several acts that led to the American Revolution.

Tea Rituals

In the 1800’s, partly because of the Opium Wars, China was more guarded about trading with the West so Britain looked for other alternatives for tea production. They settled with India since the climate and high altitudes were conducive to tea plantations. The tea tasted much stronger than the Chinese tea, so Europeans began adding milk, sugar, and spices to their brew.

Anna, the Duchess of Bedford introduced the ritual of Afternoon Tea. Because she often felt weak in the late afternoon she began inviting friends over for an afternoon sweets and tea. Her influence carried over to America and England as fine hotel started to offer tea service late in the afternoon.

Innovations in Tea Marketing

At the St. Louis World Trade Fair in 1904 a group of tea producers offered cups of hot tea but people left their stand, preferring cold drinks as the temperatures rose. In an attempt to save their sales Richard Blechynden dumped ice into the brewed tea and served the first “iced tea.” It was a huge hit.

Soon after, tea bags were created by another American, Thomas Sullivan, who accidentally invented when he packaged his teas for his customers in small silk bags. In order to avoid the mess of the leaves, restaurants brewed the tea right from the bags. Thomas Lipton, who decades earlier had bought tea plantations in Sri Lanka, began packaging his tea in New York and would go on to find a major market for premade tea bags.

Today

Tea is still a favorite drink worldwide and the interest continues to grow. The medicinal and health benefits of tea that have been noted throughout history are being explored further by scientists and health experts. And the results so far are positive to say the least. Health benefits are being scientifically proven daily, tea sales continue to increase annually, and one can only assume that the remarkable tale of tea is far from over.

Please use our links to the left to shop for our certified organic teas and enjoy this five-thousand year old beverage