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History of Tea

The legends surrounding tea date back several thousand years. Peeling back the layers of tea history reveals fanciful Eastern folklore, Europe's emergence as a global commercial power, the seeds of the American Revolution ... and the history of a British tea company called Tetley.

The tea we drink is derived from Camellia sinensis, an evergreen tree of the Theaceae family. As Camellia sinensis is indigenous to China and parts of India, each culture has a claim to the discovery of this popular beverage.

Fortuitous Wind and a Remarkable Revival

In China, the most enduring legend dates back over 4,000 years. The Emperor Nun Shen, a scholar and herbalist, was kneeling beside a fire, boiling water. With the water at a tempest, a breeze blew the topmost leaves of a nearby tree into the pot. The aroma drew Shen to taste the beguiling beverage. Immediately delighted, Shen claimed that this liquid was both delicious and invigorating.

India's legend originates with a saintly priest named Bodhidharma. About 1,900 years ago, the eventual founder of Zen Buddhism was in the fifth year of a seven year sleepless contemplation of Buddha. Finding himself dangerously close to falling asleep, Bodhidharma snatched some leaves from a nearby bush and chewed them. He was immediately revived. Bodhidharma turned to these leaves--the leaves of a wild tea tree--whenever he again felt drowsy, and was thus, according to legend, able to complete his seven years of meditation.

An Eastern Rage Heads West

Tea's popularity as a wholesome, invigorating drink first spread throughout China and Japan. The first book on tea, "Ch'a Ching," was written by the Chinese author Lu Yu in the 8th century. A definitive, poetic manual that covers the cultivation and production of tea, it is credited with helping tea become China's national drink long before it was ever tasted in the West.

Tea and tea drinking was first introduced to Europe by Portuguese and Dutch traders in the 16th century.

Tea's importance as a global commercial product started with the founding of the East India Company in England. Created in 1600 under a charter granted by Elizabeth I to seek exotic riches, the East India Company had a monopoly on all goods entering Britain from outside Europe. This initially relegated tea to the tables of England's high society. Over time, sailors returning from the Far East shared it with family and friends, and enterprising smugglers avoided the East India Company's monopoly and the government's tariffs by illegally importing it. Tea was soon being requested in London's coffee houses.

Monopolized Luxury to English Institution

The new beverage was an immediate success. At the start of the 18th century, England imported 200,000 pounds of tea each year; by 1750, that figure grew to over two million pounds. Tea replaced ale and gin as Britain's most popular beverage and spawned new industries, from tea gardens to English pottery and porcelain.

Clippers Shrink the High Seas

The East India Company had for years relied upon big, slow ships to transport merchandise. It was so popular in London in the 1850s that tea clippers --to "clip" is to maximize speed from wind-- raced each other over the 100 day journey to get the new season's teas here - the fastest ships got the best price - and the most famous, the Cutty Sark, is now moored at Greenwich.

 

Today, tea is the world's most popular beverage after water. Since its discovery many centuries ago, it has played an important role in events ranging from the mystic to gilded to simply comforting. In China, tea remains a fixture of daily life, as it has for centuries. Buddhists focus on peace and simplicity while using it in a ceremony that can take up to three years to perfect. For the English, the "tea break" is a cultural touchstone. For many Americans today, iced tea is a beverage that is as expected at a table as family and friends. Whatever your tea experience may be, one thing is certain: every sip reaffirms your part in a remarkable, timeless story.