History of Tea

According to legend, tea was discovered by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung (2700 BC) The Emperor always drank boiled water for health reason. One day some leaves from a nearby tree blew into his cup. The Emperor, after drinking the water, found that it had developed a rich and bitter aroma and he noticed that he felt better. He became convinced that the leaves had therapeutic effects.

Tea became very popular in many Asian cultures. In Japan, a ritual was created known as the Tea Ceremony. The ceremony was the celebration of the 4 Taoists virtues of purity, wisdom, respect and harmony. The ceremony was performed following a strict set of rules combining diplomacy and religion. The first recorded mention of tea in the West came from an Arabian Merchant who wrote about it in AD 851. It was during the 17th Century that tea became widely consumed in Europe. Tea became extremely popular amongst the aristocracy and wealthy Europeans. It was considered a valuable commodity.

In England, heavy taxes on the tea increased the prices further and as a result, the smuggling of tea became a booming industry. By the end of the 18th Century, taxes were reduced and tea became even more popular; It began to replace ale at the (English) breakfast table. The existing coffee houses quickly spotted the potential of the new drink and most of them were soon selling tea alongside coffee. During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) the first China tea of the season, landing in London, was particularly costly. A great rivalry occurred between the shippers of the day, who were frantically searching for the fastest sailing ship in order to import the tea. Soon a ship called “the clipper” appeared designed by the Americans. This ship cut the return journey time by half. The first British clipper was sailing in 1850 and the so-called “clipper races” from China to London soon became a popular sporting event. The cultivation of tea began in India after it was found growing wild in the Assam region and this cultivation spread all the way to Ceylon.

England saw its first Indian teas being brought over in 1838, and the English quickly adopted it, preferring it to China tea. Tea was an extremely expensive household commodity. It was kept locked in chests, which later became known as tea caddies. The lady of the house kept the key to the tea caddy and prepared and served tea for only very important visitors. The habit of pouring the milk in the cup before the tea came about due to the fact that when china cups replaced pewter, people thought they would be too delicate to handle a hot beverage. They would pour milk in first thus allowing the liquid to cool down.