History of Tea

4,500+ years ago

A Chinese emperor makes
a delightful discovery

According to Chinese mythology, the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung sat beneath a tree in 2737 BC. A scholar and an herbalist, he ruminated patiently while his servant boiled drinking water. After a leaf fell into the water, Shen Nung decided to try the brew. The leaf, of course, was from a wild tea tree.

From the earliest of times, tea has been renowned for its properties as a healthy, refreshing drink. By the 3rd century AD, stories proliferated about the benefits of drinking tea. However, it wasn’t until the Tang Dynasty period in 618 AD–906 AD that tea became China's national drink—and a cultural phenomenon. They called it ch'a.

The first tea book was titled "Ch’a Ching," (circa 780 AD) and was written by the legendary Chinese author Lu Yu. Comprising three full volumes, it was a discourse on tea growing, making, drinking, and history. The myriad illustrations of tea-making utensils are, some believe, what inspired Buddhist priests to create the Japanese tea ceremony.

How 'tea' comes from 'cha'

It turns out that the early Chinese had multiple dialectic words for tea—such as chai, cha, and tay—to describe both the beverage and the leaf. Indeed, virtually all words used today to describe this evergreen (scientifically referred to as Camellia sinensia) are derived from the original Chinese words.

Consider, for a moment, the life of this extraordinary plant. Through the centuries, tea has traversed language barriers and impacted traditions. It has seen civilizations rise and fall. And it has bridged even the most unlikely of cultural gaps.

You say tomato, I say teamato

Now back to some history. Where Buddhist priests traveled through China and Japan, so too did the knowledge of tea cultivation and appreciation for the art of drinking it. In fact, it was a devout Buddhist priest named Bodhidharma (founder of Zen Buddhism) whom the Indian and Japanese credit with the discovery of tea. According to the legend, Bodhidharma's 7-year quest for sleepless contemplation of Buddha was interrupted by a bout of drowsiness in about the fifth year. He immediately plucked the leaves from a nearby bush and chewed them, which happened to dispell his tiredness. The bush was a wild tea tree.

The first mention of tea outside China and Japan is said to be by the Arabs, in about 850 AD. They are reputed to have introduced tea to Europe via the Venetians (circa 1559). However, the Portuguese and Dutch claim the credit for themselves. The Portuguese had, in fact, opened sea routes to China early on—some say as early as 1515.

Jesuit, sea-faring priests brought their habit back to Portugal, while the sailors manning the ships encouraged Dutch merchants to enter the trade. Subsequently, a regular shipment of tea ports in France, Holland and the Baltic coast was set up in 1610. Soon thereafter, England entered the tea trade via the East India Company—or the John Company, as it was known in the mid-to-late 17th Century.

Tea today

Despite its incredible journey, tea seems to be more popular now than it has ever been. It's sold in every form imaginable—loose leaf, fresh-brewed, bottled, powdered, carbonated, preserved, spiked, medicated, and artificially flavored. Across America, coffeeshops will serve you a foamy, sweet "chai tea latte"—though they may not realize how funny that sounds! Many of todays "teas," unfortunately, are not even remotely healthy.