The History of Tea

According to legend, tea was first discovered in 2737 B.C. by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. It is said that the skilled ruler had been taking a journey through the countryside when he stopped to quench his thirst. Being a hygienic man, the emperor boiled all drinking water and on this particular day while preparing his beverage the wind began to stir in the most fateful manner. A few leaves from a nearby tea tree floated down into the emperors cauldron, changing the waters color while producing the most wonderful aroma. The emperor, a renowned herbalist, was so intrigued by the sweet and vegetal scent that he decided to take a sip. To his surprise and delight, the brew was the most deliciously refreshing beverage he had ever tasted. For the next three millennia tea was drunk for both its refreshing quality and medicinal purposes



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The Golden Age of Tea occurred during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 A.D.), when tea became the national drink of China. For the first time in history, tea was drunk for sheer pleasure rather than medicinal purposes. And it wasnt just for the elite. Tea spread from courtly circles to become popular throughout all of Chinese society. Also during this time, the practice of sending the finest teas to the emperors court as a tribute to him became very popular.

In the middle of the Golden Age of tea, around the year 800, Lu Yu wrote the Cha Ching, The Classics of Tea. This was the first definitive book on tea and became an influential element in developing the cultural significance of tea. Lu Yu’s Zen Buddhist background is apparent in every page of the meticulously written book. The Ch’aChing explains the preparation and drinking of tea as if it were a religious ceremony. It also incorporates the popular Taoist belief of the time that every detail of life was an act of living worthy of celebration.

The Ch’a Ching begins with an explanation of the tea plant, the proper weather conditions for plucking leaves, and the growing and manufacturing processes. This is followed by a description of the twenty four tools needed for proper tea preparation. Continuing with this meticulous attention to detail, Lu Yu even explains that the best source of water for tea is mountain water from slow-flowing streams. Once the Ch’a Ching is finished, the reader has learned everything from how to pour the tea to the correct way to slowly sip and savor every cup of tea.


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960-1279 Song Dynasty - Tea Evolves

During the Song Dynasty (960-1276 A.D.), compressed tea bricks began to change shape. The most popular was a triangle or disc. Some of the discs were even embossed with exotic patterns such as dragons or phoenixes. The most important development for tea during the Song Dynasty was the creation of powdered tea. Produced from green tea leaves, powdered tea was infused into boiling water and left to brew. The resulting liquid was then frothed with a whisk and served. It was this type of tea which later caught on in Japan and has become an integral part of the Japanese tea ceremony.

 

 

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                     1191 - Japanese Tea Ceremony & The Book of Tea

 

Tea was originally introduced to Japan by Chinese priests in the eighth century; it wasn’t until the twelfth century, however, that the beverage spread beyond the cups of Buddhist monks. It was revived in Japan when Eisai, a Buddhist monk known as the Japanese “Father of Tea”, brought tea seeds to Kyoto after studying in China. He later introduced the Japanese Tea Ceremony, which was based on the tea-drinking rituals of the Zen Buddhist monks whom he had studied with. Eisai also went on to write Japans first book on tea, Kissa Yojoki, or How to Stay Healthy by Drinking Tea. The first line of the book pretty much sums it all up. “Tea is the ultimate mental and medical remedy and has the ability to make ones life more full and complete”.


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                              1368–1644 Ming Dynasty - Loose Leaf Tea

 

Tea went through a short period of decline in consumption when China was ruled by the Mongols, who viewed tea as a symbol of decadence. However, once the Ming Dynasty took control of the throne, tea again rose back to prominence. It was also during this period that fresh loose leaf tea became popular. In 1391, the Ming rulers declared that only loose leaf tea would be accepted as a tribute to the emperor. Thereafter, the production of loose leaf tea expanded and processing techniques advanced.

 

 

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                                       1522-1591 - The Way of Tea 

 

Sen No Rikyu truly incorporated Zen into the Tea Ceremony by creating The Way of Tea, which is practiced today.  Based on his teachings, the formal tea ceremony should take place in a specially built tea room which emulates a Zen Buddhist monastery.  This room should be connected to a separate room, built especially for the storing and cleaning of the utensils, by a path through a serene garden.  This room also serves as an anteroom for guests waiting to be called in to take part in the ceremony.  Once summoned, the guest walks silently through the garden in this first stage of mediation, the purpose of which is to break connection to the outside world.  Before being seated, guests must observe the ornaments, the flower arrangements and the tea caddy and kettle.  The hostess then enters and begins to prepare the tea in a ritual fashion that even Yu Lu would be proud of.

 

 

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                                      Late 1500s - Tea Reaches Europe

Portugal was the first country to gain trading rights with China and thus introduced tea to Europe. Tea was shipped from China to Lisbon, and then was sold to the Dutch, who were allies of the Portuguese at the time. The Dutch were responsible for shipping tea to Holland and France. Due to the cost of travel, tea cost $100 a pound at the time, making tea the beverage of the wealthy elite. Because of the high cost, it took many years for tea to become accessible to most Europeans


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1618 - Tea Reaches Russia

 

Chinese tea first reached Russia in 1618 when the Chinese embassy in Moscow presented several chests of tea to Tsar Alexis. The caravan route they followed was a long and arduous trek of 11,000 miles, taking over sixteen months to complete. As a result, tea was initially only available to Russia’s wealthy. By 1796, when Catherine the Great died, the price of tea had dropped and its popularity was spreading across Russia. It became part of the Russian culture to sip extremely sweet tea from a glass in a silver holder. To this day, Russians still love their tea; they stir in lots of sugar, honey or strawberry jam

 

 

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1664 - Queen Catherine of Braganza

The popularity of tea in England can be attributed to Queen Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess who had grown up with a love for tea. After arriving in England to marry King Charles II, the princess first request was for a cup of tea to ease her upset stomach. To her dismay, there was no tea available, only heavy ale, which only made her feel worse. At her request, tea was shipped to England for her own personal consumption. Tea gradually became fashionable in courtly and aristocratic circles as they emulated royal behavior

 

 

 

 

 

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1700’s - Tea Smugglers 

The era of tea smuggling was one of the most scandalous periods in the history of tea. As the price of tea skyrocketed in the eighteenth century, people began to demand cheaper tea. Since these claims were ignored, the desire for reasonably priced tea led to the rise of tea smuggling, an illegal trade full of deception, corruption and debauchery. 

The East India Company held a monopoly on all tea imported to England and were able to keep the price of tea artificially high. In addition to these inflated prices, the British government imposed a high level of duty on the imported tea, only adding to tea’s astronomical price. Once the price of tea rose so high that only the abhorrently wealthy could afford it, the door opened for tea smugglers to bring the commodity to the masses.

In the beginning, tea smuggling was a small operation; much of the illegal trade brought tea into England from mainland Europe. As the demand for tea grew, officers aboard the East India Company’s ships used the space they were allotted on board for their personal belongs to smuggle tea for sale on the black market. Before docking, small boats would paddle up to the massive ships and take the smuggled tea before it passed through customs. Once smugglers realized how profitable the lightweight and easily transported tea could be, smuggling operations expanded tenfold. 

1773 - Boston Tea Party

One of the most pivotal points in both tea and American history is the Boston Tea Party. Before that infamous night, tea was as popular and fashionable in the colonies as it was back in England. After the historical event, tea was viewed as a symbol of unjust English oppression and was shunned in favor of coffee and other herbal infusions. The circumstances surrounding that fateful night explain why tea fell out of favor in America.

Throughout the eighteenth century, tea smugglers had been decreasing the profits and creating a surplus of legitimate tea for the East India Company. In an attempt to save the Company from financial ruin, the British government gave the Company permission to directly export to the colonies. The catch was that the tea would be taxed at a rate of $3 per pound. The Americans were infuriated; it was the latest in a series of taxes imposed on them without proper representation in the Westminster Parliament.

When ships docked in Boston in December 1773, the colonists refused to allow the tea to come ashore if taxes were to be paid on it. Nor were the ships allowed to leave the port for home either. If they did, they risked the chance of being confiscated or destroyed by the navy. Francis Rotch, the ships’ owner, was forced to beg Governor Thomas Hutchinsons to give special permission for the ships to leave port with the tea still on board. The Governor refused.   News of his denial spread like wildfire. The colonists were informed of the Governor’s denial while at an organized protest against British rule. Taking matters into their own hands, in a show of patriotism, the colonist sprang into action.

During the third quarter of the eighteenth century, the British had grown weary of trading with the Chinese for tea.   Difficult trading terms pushed Britain into growing and manufacturing tea in one of their own colonies, India. In 1780 tea seeds were brought from Canton to Calcutta


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                                                1784 - Tea tax slashed!

When William Pitt the Younger became Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1783, he knew the issue of tea smuggling as virtually had to be addressed. After all, all of the tea consumed in Britain at the time was smuggled. With the help of the British Parliament, he enacted the Commutation Act of 1784, which dropped the tax of tea from 119% to 12.5%. This eliminated tea smuggling and promoted better trade terms with China. Thereafter, all tea consumed in England was legally imported by the East India Company.

 

 

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                        1832 - Native Tea Trees Discovered in Upper Assam 

Nearly fifty years after the British brought Chinese tea leaves to India, native tea trees were discovered in the upper Assam region. These tea leaves were slightly larger, frost sensitive and, if left on their own, could grow thirty of forty feet high.

 

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                                             1840’s - AfternoonTea

Prior to the introduction of afternoon tea to Britain, the English only had two main meals. The first was a hardy breakfast consisting of ale, bread and beef. A massive dinner was served later in the evening, around nine o’clock. According to legend, the Duchess of Bedford is attributed with creating the midday meal of afternoon tea.

 

The Duchess would often become lightheaded between meals in the late afternoon waiting for dinner, especially in summer when dinner was not served until nearly 11pm. To cure the sinking feeling she felt between meals, the Duchess secretly ordered tea and a small meal of bread, butter and other snacks, such as cakes, tarts and biscuits sent to her room. When her friends discovered her secret, instead of ridiculing her, they loved the idea of a midday meal. The Duchess then began to invite them over to share in her afternoon tea meal. The habit soon spread to other social hostesses and a common pattern of service soon evolved.


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When the East India Company began using clipper ships to transport tea from the Far East, an unofficial annual competition to be the first back to the London Docks soon materialized. Times were recorded in the newspapers, while bets on the first ship to dock were placed. A tradition emerged where an extra pound of sterling for every ton of tea delivered was awarded to the winning ship, and the captains of winning tea clippers were given a percentage of the ship‘s earning.

The most famous race was the Great Tea Race of 1866. Nine ships loaded with the first tea of the season left China between May 29 and June 6 headed for the London Docks. Only four of the nine, however, were really competing for the prize: the Fiery Cross, the Ariel, the Taeping and the Serica. The race took a little over three months to complete and the Taeping emerged the winner, arriving a mere twenty minutes before the Ariel.

Iced tea has been around since the early nineteenth century but it wasn’t until the World’s Fair in 1904 that iced tea was popularized and commercialized. It was a hot sultry summer day in St. Louis, Missouri, when the World’s Fair came to town. Richard Blechynden, an Indian tea plantation owner had planned on giving away free samples of his hot tea to fair visitors. The intense heat, however, had no one interested. Blechynden noticed that his tea was being passed up for cold beverages. Desperate to garner interest in his product, he took the tea and put it over ice. The resulting iced tea was an immediate hit that had all the fairgoers craving more.




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Tea bags patents existed as early as 1903 but it wasn’t until New York merchant Thomas Sullivan shipped his tea bags around the world in 1908 that the tea bag became popular. Sullivan used to send out samples of his tea in small silken bags. When customers received these bags they assumed these were used in the same way as other infusers. Rather than emptying out the contents of the bag, they simply put the entire bag into the pot and let it steep. It was thus by this simple mistake that tea bags became popular! Responding to customer feedback, Sullivan altered the bags, replacing the small silken bags with sachets made of gauze.