History of Tea

A Brief History of Tea ...

Like beer and wine, tea is an ancient beverage. Yet in some countries that are strongly associated with it, such as Great Britain, it was introduced only recently in historic terms.

Tea Leaves in a Tea Caddy No one knows with certainty who first had the odd idea of taking leaves from the Camilla Sinensis plant and adding them to hot water to make a brew. It may have been an accident at first, with leaves from the bush floating into a heated kettle. But almost certainly, the practice began over 5,000 years ago in China.

However the history of tea began, this tea brewing art spread quickly after the taste and health benefits were discovered by those early pioneers.

In 800 AD, an ex-monk named Lu Yu wrote the Ch'a Ching, containing all that was then known about the ways of preparing tea. The word then spread to Japan by way of Buddhist monks, in particular one named Yeisei, where it quickly became a royal favorite.
When the Portuguese and other western seamen made contact with the Orient, they were introduced to a beverage unlike any other they had known in their native countries. From their travels in the early 17th century, they returned with many treasures, including precious tea leaves. The importation of this expensive novelty rapidly made many of them very wealthy.

In the mid-17th century, Britain finally entered the history of tea when it began to import tea from China and the East Indies.

The Ritual of Afternoon Tea Tea became so popular in England that afternoon tea is now strongly associated with the United Kingdom and most Commonwealth Countries.

Then with the merger of the John Company and the East India Company, (both importers of tea with a near monopoly in the western world), tea spread everywhere.

By the end of the 17th century tea imports were 40,000 pounds.

Move the history of tea forward a few years and the novelty has become a commodity, with over 240,000 pounds of tea imported into England in 1708.

And; tea leaves are also now being sold in common food shops in Holland and France.

The drink that had been imported and made popular by royalty was now consumed by nearly everyone in the western world.

At the same time, the history of tea and tea drinking was spreading to other nations around the world.

The Russian Tsar Alexis received several chests of tea as a gift in the early 17th century. By the end of the century the Russians were engaging in regular trade with China across their common border. The need to travel over a year across thousands of miles kept the price high. But eventually the practice spread throughout society and tea could be found in every Russain samovar.

The United States, as some may remember, had a little 'ceremony' called the Boston Tea Party. As an act of protest against the heavy-handed British government and taxation, several Americans decided to dump large quantities of good tea leaves into Boston harbor. In reaction, the British government closed the port and troops occupied the city. A revolution began. The results that followed changed the world forever.

The History of Tea, it seems, is reflected in the events and images that make up the history of the modern world. From trade in the China Seas and the East India Company to the British Empire, the English stiff upper lip and the Boston Tea Party. Drink in a part of history and enjoy a fine cup of tea today.

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Favorite Tea Recipes

A Cool Iced Tea, a real Summer Treat.

Ice Tea - A Summer Treat Steep 60g (2oz) of your favorite tea in 1.2 liters (2 pints) of freshly drawn cold water for at least 3 hours or overnight if possible.