A Spot of Tea History

Every one enjoys a warm cup of tea should know tea itself has a rich history. People have drunk tea of version for thousands of years. It is an important part not only of culinary but social history of the human race.

The early roots of tea started an amazingly 5,000 years ago in ancient China. It is said that tea was discovered in an accidental way. The emperor was interested in the health benefits of different colored infusions in water. He tried beverages made with various types of brown dried leaves in boiling water. Initially, it is said that when he boiled the water the dried leaves accidently feel in. Rather this is true or not, this emperor was the first to boast of the taste and health benefits of tea.

The first Chinese person to write about different kinds of tea was Lu Yu and he compiled a definitive book on the preparation of the tea; and the different types of tea that existed at that time. News of the health benefits of tea reached Japan from China through a Buddhist monk .He was convinced that tea consumption helped meditation among the monks and tea became part of the religious ceremonies inside the monasteries.

This is where the roots of the now famous Japanese tea ceremony come from. There is literally much ritual
associated with the preparation of "' hot water for tea". It also involved into a complicated ceremony of pouring and serving tea that was extremely graceful.

Many new mixtures of tea were developed over this early time period. Tea houses became popular places as a result of the ritual of the polite tea ceremony. New strains of types of tea developed. Tea comes from a plant called "camellia saneness." Both black and green tea comes from the same family of plant. Red tea comes from South Africa oringinallyc and is caffeine free. It is noted for its antioxidant content. Herbal teas are not a true tea but is many times blended with black, green, and red teas. Tea that was first from China is now produced worldwide in places such as Siam, South China, Burma, Assam Kenya and South Africa.

Early on Taoist and Buddhist monks used teas for spiritual and health reasons. The purpose of a given tea was enhanced by the addition of things such as orange blossoms, onions, peppermint and lotus. Different teas were prescribed for different ailments or spiritual states. During the Sung Dynasty of 960 -1279 CE tea bricks were put aside in favor of tea ground into a fine powder and whipped into a frothy tea. Wide brimmed tea cup in brown, blue, and purple were used.

People of this time would drink teas made of things such as orange blossoms, onions, peppermint and lotus. Tea was served to help the drinker experience peace and serenity. When tea was introduced to the west during the Ming Dynasty 1358-1644 CE white cups were used to enhance the color of the tea.

In more modern days the English could be said to be addicted to tea and it became their national drink. In fact both tea and opium smugglers were that head of international trade during the 1800's, the opium war was between 1839 -1842 was over access of the west to tea and opium. China did in the end sign free trade agreements but soon England was a major player in tea production with tea production centered in British controlled India. Indian tea soon outranked Chinese tea as the tea of consumption in the West

Tea consumption came to eastern Europe in 1618 when it was introduced in Russia. It was hard for tea to make its way to Russia because Russia and China did not engage in trade. In the eighteenth century Russia used a cavern route of camels and trade in neutral area between Russia and China. It took many months for a given supply of tea to reach Russia. Tea consumption really began in the east and was introduced to the west through trade.

English leaders at one time were concerned about its nation's addiction to tea and highly taxed it. Queen Elizabeth I thought tea was a national asset and from the East India Company. The East India Company was a major paler in British politics for the next 250 years. Tea beamed the afternoon meal when it was served with cakes and sandwich.

In America the colonist had tea gardens, but because tea was heavily taxed many changed their tea consumption in for liquor or herbal tea consumption. American merchant's of tea were undersold by the East India Company. American colonist wanted representation on taxation in parliament. This is when the famous Boston tea party occurred. Men dressed as Mohawk Indiana's bordered three ships carrying East India tea and threw the tea into the ocean. Tea was an important factor in the American Revolution.

Sir Lanka and India grown 70% of the world's tea. Kenya is in the tea business. America is addicted like her English first cousins and now is the second biggest importer of tea.

http://www.2basnob.com/tea-history-timeline.html

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HighTeaHistory.htm