The origin of Tea - Where, When, How it comes from?

 The origin of Tea - Where, When, How did it come from?

Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world (after water). It is made by steeping the leaves, buds, or twigs of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) in boiling water for several minutes to several hours. Tea leaves can be oxidized (fermented), roasted, dried, or mixed with other herbs such as flowers, spices, or other fruits before being boiled in water. Within the range of Camellia sinensis beverages, there are four true teas: Black Tea, Oolong Tea, Green Tea, and White Tea. There are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavor, while others have vastly different profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea is a natural source of caffeine, theophylline, and antioxidants and has almost no fat, carbohydrates, or protein. The tea is fragrant, slightly bitter, and acrid.

THE HISTORY STORY OF TEA COMES FROM CHINA

The tea we know and love today has had a journey like no other. As most people know, tea originated in China. Although it is still a wonderfully loved drink in its original country, it has become a worldwide beverage enjoyed in many different cultures taking many different shapes. Today we are going to explore this rich and wide history, the drama that has circulated the drink, and the modern day changes that have influenced the flavor.

The story around tea starts with a legend. Emperor Shennong was the ruler of the time. The story goes that the Emperor was drinking a bowl of hot water. It had just been boiled, and he was enjoying its clarity when leaves blew over from a nearby tree. They landed in his drink, creating a new color.

Intrigued, Emperor Shennong took a sip and found its flavor surprisingly delightful. He even felt a little zip of energy.

There is a variant of this story that goes on to say that Emperor Shennong tested out many different leaves from this first accident and found some to be poisonous and others as antidotes.

All of this supposedly happened in 2737 BC, before the Tang dynasty. There are other versions where the god of agriculture created and discovered the tea’s properties and another which is more curious.

In this last version, Bodhidharma (the founder of Chan Buddhism) fell asleep for 9 years. When he woke up, he was so upset about this blunder that he cut off his eyelids. He dropped them on the ground, only for them to turn into energy giving tea bushes.

TEA BECAME POPULAR OVER THE WORLD

According to legend, tea has been known in China since about 2700 BCE. For millennia it was a medicinal beverage obtained by boiling fresh leaves in water, but around the 3rd century CE it became a daily drink, and tea cultivation and processing began. The first published account of methods of planting, processing, and drinking came in 350 CE. Around 800 the first seeds were brought to Japan, where cultivation became established by the 13th century. Chinese from Amoy brought tea cultivation to the island of Formosa (Taiwan) in 1810. Tea cultivation in Java began under the Dutch, who brought seeds from Japan in 1826 and seeds, workers, and implements from China in 1833.

In 1824 tea plants were discovered in the hills along the frontier between Burma and the Indian state of Assam. The British introduced tea culture into India in 1836 and into Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1867. At first they used seeds from China, but later seeds froThe Dutch East India Company carried the first consignment of China tea to Europe in 1610. In 1669 the English East India Company brought China tea from ports in Java to the London market. Later, teas grown on British estates in India and Ceylon reached Mincing Lane, the centre of the tea trade in London. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, tea growing had spread to Russian Georgia, Sumatra, and Iran and extended to non-Asian countries such as Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Congo, Tanzania, and Mozambique in Africa, to Argentina, Brazil, and Peru in South America, and to Queensland in Australia.m the Assam plant were used.

THE INVENTION OF BLACK TEA

Throughout this tea expansion, all tea in its various forms was still a type of green tea. It was the mid-17th century when this started to change.

The real pushing factor for the invention was due to growing foreign trade. Trade had always been a thing, but in the 17th century, the porcelain, silk, and spice trade began. Trading ships were traveling to many countries around the world from major cultures.

To capitalize on travelers hoping to bring their goods back to their own country, China had to think of a new way to package their tea. Green tea was fresh and so had to be used just days after picking. It couldn’t last on the month’s sea voyage which travelers needed.

The growers realized that the tea essence would last longer if they fermented the leaves. However, the flavor changed. What they had invented was black tea. The taste and smell were stronger, meaning the travelers didn’t need as much to create a delicious flavor. It traveled well and lasted for months on the travels to other countries.

CONCLUSION

The history of tea is laced in politics throughout the ages. History can be found in every leaf and every drop. Tea may have originated in China, but from its 5 centuries of change, culture, and connection, we can safely say that this drink is a worldwide beverage, with each country having their own culture attached to it.

Nothing can bond a person to their country like their method and flavor of tea. Its history is just as rich as its flavor.