Tea History

The history of tea dates back to more than 5,000 years ago. Legend has it that a Chinese emporer, Shen Nung, discovered tea while boiling water during a trip to one of the regions under his rule. As his servants were boiling water, leaves from a nearby shrub flew into the boiling water. Given that the emporer was a purist who insisted on clean boiled water, it is surprising that he decided to try out the infused water which had changed color. That goodness he liked it otherwise tea would not have been discovered. No one truly can establish the facts, but mythologists and historians generally believe this narrative represents how tea was discovered.

The rapid spread of tea

Tea quickly became an integral part of the chinese culture. The history of various chinese dynasties and philosophers indicates that tea consumption spread very rapidly from the time of Confucius through the Han and Tang Dynasties. The art of tea drinking developed into cultural ceremonies; people would send tea to appease or to pay tribute to chinese emperors. Chinese Monks drank tea to stay awake during extended periods of prayer.

The first book on tea was written by Lu Yu, who had been raised as an orphan by monks but later abandoned the idea of becoming a monk. According to history, the legend of Lu Yu grew as he wrote extensive literature on tea growing and drinking. His work, which clearly protrayed his priestly training propelled him to national prominence where he was recognized by emporers and monks for his work. Lu Yu's legend and literary work was utilized in introducing tea to other parts of the world. From China, teas was first introduced to Japan by Buddhist missionaries.

Tea spreads in Japan

The first tea seeds were introduced into Japan from China during the Tang Dynasty (618-905). At first tea was consumed in Japan as a luxury beverage mainly because only small quantities exporting only small quantities. Initially, only noble men and priests drank tea mainly for medicinal purposes. Tea did not become a mainstream beverage in China until much later.

It was not until the Kamakura period (1192 - 1333) that tea was formally introduced in Japan. During this period, the Japanese adopted a more systematic approach to learning philosophy and religion. This resulted in a lot of Japanese priests traveling to China to to study. On of the priests, Yosai, went to China and brought back a large quantity of tea seedlings and planted them in Japan. Yosai, would later become the founder of Zeb Buddhism in Japan. He grew tea for religious purposes. The tea he grew was far superior in quality than the tea that was previously grown for medicinal purposes. He also taught people how to grind tea leaves into powder rather than boil whole leaves.

After the end of the Kamakura era in 1333, rivarlies between the north and the south created confusion. It was at this time that a "new age" group of Japanese known as gekokugo started drinking tea for entertainment purposes. They transformed tea drinking from a "religious affair" to a "secular affair". The introduced social tea games, such as tocha, where guests were tested on their ability to distinguish between different types of tea. Afterwards many Japense tea ceremonies evolved. Japanese tea ceremonies required years of training. The skills emphasized the art of serving tea; politeness, gracefullness etc.

From China and Japan to Europe, Africa, and the West

Tea was introduced to Europe approximately 1620 by the Dutch. At first, tea drinking was met with opposition. Heretics like Henry Saville (1678) denounced tea drinking as a filthy custom. Others said that tea drinking made men loose their stature and comeliness and women their beauty. This and the fact that tea was extremely expensive forbade popular consumption by the masses. Tea was intially reserved for special occassions and for high-priced gifts to princes and grandees. However, in a short time, tea rapidly spread in consumption and trade. Tea become such a phenomenon that it was the most served beverage in Coffee houses. At one point, the average British household was spending 10% of its food budget on tea and sugar.

The British were instrumental in spreading tea from Europe to African and America. They introduced tea to many of their African colonies. Today, Kenya is on of the largest exporter of tea after Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon). Tea production was started in Africa by missionaries who received tea seeds from the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland. Some of the other African countries that grow tea include, Cameroon, Mauritius, Rwanda, and South Africa. Tea reached America around 1690. The first tea gardens were opened in New York, which was a former Dutch Colony. Tea trade between America and Britan centered around Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. As is well known, the 1767 tea tax imposed on America by Britain (by Charles Townsend) became the watershed of America's fight for freedom. Americans revolted and stopped drinking British Tea culmination in the dumping of hundreds of pounds of tea in the harbor The Boston Tea Party. Samuel Adams and John Hancock participated in the Boston Tea Party which eventually led to the revolution.

"Fellow countrymen, we cannot afford to give a single inch! If we retreat now, everything we have done becomes useless! If Hutchinson will not send tea back to England, perhaps we can brew a pot of it especially for him!" - Samuel Adams - December 16, 1773