The History of Tea

Tea Timeline 2

A Timeline of Tea History
(A more detailed history)

In or around 2737 BC a Chinese emperor, scholar and herbalist by the name of Shen Nong discovered tea. Legend says that a tea leaf accidentally fell in a pot of boiling water and Shen Nong drank some of the brew. He found the brew to be both refreshing and healing, leading to the birth of this beverage!
Around 400 BC tea takes on a different role in the Chinese culture. It now becomes a custom to serve to house guests. Prior to this time, tea was viewed and used primarily for medicinal purposes.
By the end of the 3rd century, tea had become China's National drink. In the year 332 AD, Zhang Yi writes the first record on the manufacturing of tea. This record details the cultivation of tea and how it is to be cared for and processed.
Between the 1st-8th century, tea becomes one of the primary goods traded along the Silk Road. Tea gains exposure to Arab lands, Persia, Tibet and tribes living in the Himalayas. During this time tea also makes its presence known in India and Macedonia.
The first major book on tea is released. The book, entitled Choecha Changa (Classic of Tea) and written by Lu Yu, becomes the basic study of Chinese tea.
Buddhist monk Dengyo Daishi transports some tea seeds from his home in China to Japan. He planted them in his monastery's garden and years later these tea plants were used to brew tea for the Emperor Saga. He enjoyed the drink so much that he pushed for more plantations to be harvested. Due to Dengyo Daishi's efforts, the commercial cultivation of tea bushes in Japan exploded.
The number of trade routes in Europe expands dramatically. Tea is now traded amongst a wider variety of people all over Europe. This period marks the beginning of tea expansion and opens the door for the eventual popularity of tea in both Eastern & Western Europe.
The first cargo of Chinese tea was sent to Amsterdam in 1606. Holland controlled the tea trade for the next 50 years. Tea was sold at apothecaries and used as medicine during this time.
In 1657, tea was first introduced to England. It first became popular in the royal court due to the influence of King Charles II's wife (Catherina of Braganza). After the royal acceptance of tea, the beverage began to explode in popularity among all the English. It was a particularly fashionable drink for women all over England.
Peter Stuyvesant brought tea to the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (later known as New York City)
As a way to recover lost funds from the French Indian war, the British government placed high taxes on tea in the American colonies. Tea was a staple of colonial life and it was assumed that the colonists would rather pay the tax than deny themselves the pleasure of the product. However, the colonists responded by boycotting tea. After being unable to turn away 3 cargo ships from the East India Company, the colonists decided to use different means to rid the country of this beverage. On the evening of December 16, 1773, three groups of fifty men each, dressed up as Mohawk Indians, passed through a large crowd of spectators, went aboard the three ships, broke open the tea chests, and heaved them into the harbor. This further laid groundwork for the American Revolution.
In 1904, an English tea planter by the name of Richard Blechynden accidentally created iced tea. He was planning to offer samples of hot Indian tea to the public at the St. Louis Worlds Fair. While packing for the fair he decided to pack the glasses of already brewed tea with ice. This was the beginning of modern iced tea as we know it! A couple of years later an American tea merchant by the name of Thomas Sullivan was using hand sewn silk bags to send samples to his customers. Customers, unaware that they needed to remove the tea before brewing, used the whole bag only to discover that this new method was more efficient and cleaner then regular brewing. The demand for these bags rose and the teabag was subsequently formed and widely used.
Tea and large soft drink beverage firms team up to create a wide variety of ready to drink ice tea beverages. Tea recognition and appreciation of its health benefits continues to soar.
The amount of scientific research and studies on the health properties of tea continues to grow. Studies of significant importance include: Research with Cancer prevention, Diabetes prevention, and the reduction of cholesterol.