Tea’s Origins in Ancient China
Tea’s History: Tea’s history may be traced back over 5,000 years to ancient China. According to mythology, Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea in 2732 B.C. when leaves from a wild tree flew into a pot of boiling water. He was instantly drawn to the delightful aroma of the emerging brew and drank some of it. According to legend, the Emperor felt a warm sensation as he sipped the interesting beverage, as if the liquid was examining every part of his body.
Shen Nung named the brew “ch’a,” which is a Chinese character that means “to check or probe.” A Han Dynasty Emperor declared in 200 B.C. that when referring to tea, a specific written character showing wooden branches, grass, and a man between the two must be utilized. For the Chinese culture, this written character, also pronounced “ch’a,” represented the way tea brought humanity into balance with nature.
History of Tea in China
From the fourth through the eighth centuries, tea’s popularity grew significantly in China. Tea was no longer only appreciated for its medical powers; it was also cherished for its everyday joy and refreshment. Tea plantations proliferated throughout China, tea merchants got wealthy, and expensive, exquisite tea products became a symbol of their owners’ riches and position.
The Chinese emperor strictly supervised the crop’s preparation and cultivation. Only young ladies, apparently because of their purity, were allowed to handle the tea leaves. These young female handlers were not to eat garlic, onions, or strong spices for fear that the stench on their hands might contaminate the valuable tea leaves.
The Origins of Black Tea
Green tea was the only type of tea available in China until the mid-seventeenth century. However, when overseas commerce developed, Chinese farmers found that by using a specific fermentation process, they could preserve the tea leaves. The resultant Black tea retained its taste and scent for a longer period of time than the more delicate Green teas and was better prepared for export travels to other nations.
Tea in Contemporary China
Tea has been a part of Chinese culture for thousands of years; it was prevalent before the Egyptians erected the great pyramids and was traded with Asian countries before Europe emerged from the dark ages. Tea’s significance and popularity in China persist to this day, and it has become a symbol of the country’s history, religion, and culture.
Today, students fight for admission to the highly demanding and prestigious Shanghai Tea Institute. The highest level students must play the traditional Guzheng stringed instrument, perform a flawless tea-serving ceremony, speak a foreign language to entertain overseas guests, and distinguish between approximately 1,000 different types of Chinese tea…to date, only 75 students have received a Tea Art certificate. There is even an entire amusement park dedicated to Chinese tea drinking customs called the Tenfu Tea Museum – China’s counterpart of Disneyland.
Tibet’s Tea Heritage
By the beginning of the ninth century, the Chinese had brought tea to Tibet. Because of Tibet’s harsh temperature and rocky terrain, cultivating their own plants was impossible, thus tea had to be supplied from China through yak caravan. The lengthy, exhausting yak voyage into Tibet took nearly a year and was threatened not only by the stunning scenery of some of the world’s highest mountains, but also by tea-seeking robbers and pirates. To meet the increasing demand for Tibetan tea, about two to three hundred tea-laden yaks entered the nation every day.
Tea grew so popular in Tibet and the neighboring regions that it was used as money. Compressed tea was a typical method of payment for nearly anything, and employees and servants were regularly compensated in this manner.
Tibetan Tea Traditions
Tibetan tea is traditionally produced by boiling the leaves for approximately half an hour before straining the liquid through a horsehair strainer (nowadays made of plastic) into a large wooden container. Yak butter and salt are traditionally added to the tea and churned until emulsified. These chemicals assist to restore the fat and salt lost by persons who live at high altitudes in the Himalayan Mountains. Tibetans in their younger generations will occasionally consume a kind of Indian Chai.
A Tibetan Essential
Tea is still a mainstay in Tibet, with some drinking up to 40 cups or more each day. No guest should be left without tea and his or her cup should never be empty, according to Tibetan etiquette.
History of Tea in Japan
Japanese travellers to China in the early ninth century were introduced to the ideals and customs of tea. Dengyo Daishi, a Buddhist monk, is credited for introducing Chinese tea seedlings to Japan after returning from studies overseas. Tea became an essential component of Japanese monastic life, with monks drinking it to keep attentive during meditation periods. By the early 1300s, tea had achieved appeal throughout Japanese culture, but its early religious significance had indelibly colored the meaning and value that the Japanese identify with tea, and it had a direct impact on the Japanese Tea Ceremony.
The Tea Ceremony in Japan
The holy Japanese tea ritual, known as “Chanoyu,” arose in the late 15th century as a result of Zen Buddhism’s Japanese beliefs. The ceremonial places a high value on the act of brewing and drinking tea. During Chanoyu, Zen Buddhism emphasizes the fundamental characteristics of Japanese philosophy (harmony, purity, respect, and tranquillity). Tea ceremony proficiency was essential for ladies to marry, and special tea rooms were created in private gardens.
Authentic Japanese Tea
The tea used in Chanoyu was created by whisking water through a powerful ground green tea known as “Matcha.” Although it may seem strange to Westerners, the Japanese preferred the fresh, green tastes of Matcha to steeped tea brewing techniques. In the late 1730s, experimental tea processors discovered that heating the leaves to halt fermentation created a greener, more flavorful tea that more closely approximated the fresh, powerful tastes characteristic of Matcha.
Tea in Contemporary Japan
Tea is now deeply ingrained (no pun intended) in Japanese society. Tea is offered with every meal and is used to greet all guests. Bottled tea is available in vending machines, and stores sell “Green Tea” flavored ice cream.
Because of the restricted land space (Japan is, after all, a collection of hilly islands), elaborate terraces cut out of the mountainsides are used to cultivate tea. Japan’s tea business is the most technologically sophisticated in the world. In contrast to the old, hand-processed techniques of tea manufacturing still prevalent in China, Japanese farms now utilize several specialized machinery in the manufacture of tea. Because of their distinct taste preferences, the Japanese have manufactured their tea to be greener, more strong, and less sweet than tea made in China.
The Tea History of Russia
Tsar Alexis of Russia received a tea gift from the Chinese in 1618. Everyone was intrigued by the novel beverage, and tea rapidly became popular. To bring tea into the nation, a camel caravan trade route developed. This caravan traveled 11,000 miles by camel and took approximately 112 years. Each year, over 6,000 camels, each carrying 600 pounds of tea, enter Russia to satisfy the tea-hungry Russians. The camel caravan was superseded in 1903 by the famed Trans-Siberian Railway, which reduced travel time from 112 years to little over a week.
Tea’s History in Europe
In 1610, the Portuguese and Dutch brought tea into Europe for the first time…Rembrandt was only four years old! The English tea dance did not begin until 1662, when King Charles II married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza. Britain’s new Queen had always enjoyed tea and had brought a chest of good Chinese tea with her as part of her dowry. She began giving the tea to her wealthy Court acquaintances, and knowledge of the unique Royal beverage swiftly spread.
Tea as a Status Icon
Tea was an imported luxury that only the privileged could buy. The cheapest pound of tea available cost the ordinary worker approximately a month’s pay. Tea became extremely popular and elite as a result of its exorbitant costs. The ability to serve and consume tea with grace and expertise denoted social standing as well as excellent breeding and intelligence. To that aim, many rich 18th century English and Dutch families commissioned paintings portraying their families drinking tea.
“Afternoon Tea”
Afternoon tea, which is now a popular British tradition, is linked to Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, who was frustrated by the lengthy gap between a small breakfast and a late evening supper. To satisfy her needs, she instructed her maid to bring her a cup of tea and some light munchies to her room. Anna promptly began inviting others to join her for afternoon tea…and the habit swiftly spread.
The “High Tea” service
Afternoon tea is considerably different from high tea. High tea, despite it sounds more affluent, is a 19th-century working-class tradition. High tea is served later (about 6:00 PM) and includes a complete supper meal for the general public. High tea is traditionally served with meats, fish or eggs, cheese, bread and butter, and cake. Afternoon tea is more of a lady’s social distraction, whereas high tea is more of a man’s lunch.
Tea’s Role in Globalization
The Dutch controlled the tea trade until 1678, when the British began commercially importing tea. The British Royal family chartered the East India Company and handed it a monopoly on all commerce throughout Asia and Eastern Africa in order to gain complete control and profits over trade. The East India Company swiftly became the world’s most powerful monopoly, and tea was its principal commodity. They were granted the authority to acquire land, create money, maintain troops and fortifications, punish lawbreakers, make foreign alliances, and even declare war.
The East India Company ruled until 1833, when the British Parliament opened the trading routes open to competition. However, the centuries of supremacy had significant long-term consequences. The British East India Company altered the globe by claiming Hong Kong, Singapore, and India as British possessions and sparking a global economy…all for the sake of tea.
The Tea History of India
Opium Warfare
As tea consumption increased, Britain’s exports were unable to meet the demand for tea imports. Silver piqued the Chinese’s curiosity more than cotton, Britain’s principal export. However, as finding enough silver to exchange for tea grew increasingly difficult, the British moved to producing opium in their vast Asian colony…India. The cunning British transported opium across the Indian border in exchange for silver, then returned the silver to China in exchange for tea. The clandestine opium enterprise operated until 1839, when a Chinese official dumped 20,000 chests of opium into a sea near Canton. A year later, the United Kingdom declared war on China, and China replied by imposing a severe embargo on all tea exports.
India’s Tea Plantations
Even before the Opium Wars, China was wary of trade with the West. China, feeling that their country was self-sufficient, made moves toward isolation. Due to the difficulties of acquiring Chinese tea, Britain looked into other options, such as cultivating their own tea.
Northern India’s climate and high heights make it a good place for tea growth. In addition, as early as 1823, travelers discovered indigenous tea plants flourishing in Assam, India. Indians quickly became professionals in growing highly attractive tea plants, but they lacked expertise of tea processing. Scottish botanist Robert Fortune is credited for spying on China’s traditional holy tea processing procedures and returning to India with knowledge, equipment, and a small crew of expert Chinese producers.
Tea’s History in North America
It’s no wonder that tea was popular in early North America, which was conquered by Europe. Teahouses with fine silver and porcelain tea accoutrements were popular in the emerging cities of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, as were Europe’s identical customs and norms of politeness.
The American War of Independence
By the second half of the 18th century, tea had become Britain’s single greatest and most lucrative export. To profit on the popularity of tea in America, the British government imposed a unique “tea tax.” Greed won out, and the tax rate steadily rose to 119 percent, more than tripling the cost of tea when it entered the American wholesale market.
American ports, in disobedience, refused to allow any dutiable commodities ashore. This led in the historic Boston Tea Party, the closing of Boston Harbor by the British government, and the entrance of British troops on American territory. This sequence of events signaled the start of the American War of Independence…as well as America’s penchant for coffee. Boycotting tea became a patriotic deed.
Advances in Tea Consumption in the United States
The United States is still to blame for a few significant developments in the tea business. At the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, a group of tea makers established a unique tea pavilion and served cups of hot tea to all participants. Due to the exceptionally high summer weather, the man in charge of the vacant booth poured tea into cups filled with ice cubes. Customers waited in line to test the new iced tea creation. Today, the United States consumes about 50 billion glasses of iced tea in a single year, accounting for more than 80% of all tea drunk in the country.
Tea bags were also invented in the United States, albeit inadvertently. In 1908, a New York tea dealer distributed silk-wrapped samples of his product to restaurants and cafés around the city. After a while, he saw that the restaurants were boiling their tea straight in the silk bags to save time. This method of brewing quickly became popular.
Tea in Contemporary America
Despite the fact that tea is the most common drink in the world (after water), its popularity has only lately increased in the United States. Today, lots of Americans are including tea into their healthy diets or replacing coffee and soft beverages with tea.
