Who invented tea
Tea is a popular beverage and its popularity is almost unparalleled across the globe. Tea is the second most popular drink in the world after water. There is large-scale tea growing and production in Kenya, Argentina, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hawaii, Azores, Portugal, and Scotland.
Asia is the biggest producer of tea and supplies over 80% of all tea, which is mainly grown in India, China, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, with India being the largest tea-producing country in the world, producing about 30% of all tea. In the 20th century, tea was introduced to East Africa. Nowadays, the highlands of Kenya are also renowned for some of the best tea in the world.
Even after the popularity of instant teas, more people are discovering that there are premium teas with richer flavors and delicate notes with better aromas. Hence, the versatility of tea brewing methods has seen a new surge, from Matcha lattes, dragon leaf teas, iced teas, bubble teas, tea cocktails, and other herbal and floral flavored teas to tea cakes, tea ice creams and essential tea oils, among others. The numerous health benefits of tea also keep on attracting wider awareness.
However, it is interesting to wonder, who invented tea?
First discovery of tea
According to Chinese legends, Emperor Shen Nung made the first discovery of tea around 2737 BC. According to old stories, the emperor enjoyed herb gathering and when out in his usual activities, he sat beneath a tea tree to boil some water for his herbs. The wind blew some of the leaves from the tea tree into his bowl.
Shen Nung was intrigued by the pleasant smell of the brew and when he drank it, he was even more interested in the warm feeling he got. He named the resulting mixture \’cha\’ which means \’investigate\’ because he felt that the brew seemed to be investigating every part of his body. That tea plant that produced Shen Nung\’s first beverage is the same one that is grown widely around the world today.
During the time of Confucius, a famous Chinese philosopher (c.551-479 BC) lay the groundwork of the principles of tea ceremonies and tea etiquette. These were explored through the Han dynasty and the reign of the Tang dynasty. By this time (618-906 AD), tea had become the national drink and was popular among court circles and other circles in Chinese society.
How was tea originally consumed?
Originally, however, tea was consumed differently. It was cooked with porridge or eaten as a type of vegetable before finally being solely drunk as a beverage.
There were different variations as to the preparation of tea, with a standard quickly emerging. This standard method was to heat the tea and pack it in portable cakes before grinding it into a powder that, when mixed with tea, yielded a beverage called matcha or muo cha. This beverage became so popular that it spawned a whole culture around it. Books on the subject of tea were written, poems were crafted praising the liquid, artists used it as a medium and it became the choice beverage to entertain guests.
Spreading throughout the world
After spreading to Japan, tea also spread to Europe, first introduced by Dutch traders. It then spread to Great Britain, where it was popular among the aristocracy. The tea trade became so lucrative by 1700 that the fastest sailboat in the world, the clipper ship, was created to facilitate the intense competition between trading companies racing to bring tea back to Europe first as a way of maximizing their profits. Thus tea became a very sought-after commodity.
Which country invented tea?
China
China is considered the birthplace of tea, where tea drinking first originated. The word tea originates from China as tea was called \’te\’ in some parts of China.
The Chinese had entire rituals around tea brewing and exquisite tea gardens were often cultivated to produce high-quality teas that would then be offered as imperial tribute. The emperor would enjoy the highest quality of tea, such as yellow tea.
Tea is not only a social drink, a pick-me-up drink, and a beverage for the mornings, but also, in China, it was and still is a valuable medicinal herb with healing powers.
Its rejuvenation and stimulation effect on the body and mind made it a widespread drink across China and this has endured for almost 5000 years.
During the Tang dynasty in the 7th Century AD, tea became a daily beverage taken for pleasure, restoration, and stimulation purposes. Soon, the Chinese were inspired to become tea connoisseurs. Different experts at tea production, storage and brewing began keeping their records and knowledge, making the beverage an elevated theme and ritual in various social scenes.
Cross-border Trade
Aside from becoming the country\’s staple drink, it became an important trade item for China. The Chinese would exchange tea with Tibetan horses in a trade that took place across Yunnan, Southern China, and Sichuan to Tibet and beyond. This inspired the construction of the \’Tea and Horse Road\’ that passed through these regions covering thousands of kilometers and became the \’Southern Silk Road.\’
Tea in Tibet
China introduced tea to Tibet in the 9th century and tea became so popular that the yak caravans that brought the tea into Tibet often faced the threats of thieves and piracy. It didn\’t help that the journey would take almost a year through dramatic rocky terrain. Tea became a form of currency in Tibet. This gave birth to the traditional Tibetan tea that was made by boiling the leaf for half an hour before straining it with a strainer made of horsehair and soring it in a wooden container. The Tibetans would then add butter and salt and churn it until it emulsified.
Hong Kong & Opium Wars
China became the only supplier of tea till the 19th century and one of the world\’s most remarkable tea cultures. In the 19th century, however, the British East India Company, in a bid to get some market share of the tea trade, tried to pay for the tea by selling opium. This led to the Opium Wars of 1839-1860 due to China\’s ban on opium. In turn, this led to the rise of Hong Kong, which was acquired by Britain. This opened up new ports and expanded China\’s international trade.
Tea in Japan
Before this, Japan was one of the first countries to import tea from the Chinese and started their elegant rituals to the tea-drinking process. Buddhist monks took tea for its calming effect and its ability to keep them alert through meditation. Tea later spread from the monasteries to the temples and Japan\’s social life. Like in China, people would hold tea parties and connoisseur contests.
Matcha, a finely powdered green tea, and sencha, a loose-leaf green tea, became some of the most renowned Japanese teas.
The Japanese had a sacred tea ceremony that began in the 15th century under Zen Buddhism called \’Chanoyu.\’ It placed importance on the art of brewing and drinking tea. Special tea rooms were built overlooking elegant backyard gardens where tea ceremonies would be held. It became a requirement that for women to marry, they had to master the tea ceremony.
Today, the Japanese tea industry is one of the most technologically advanced in the world. While China\’s ancient hand-processed tea production methods are still used to this day, in Japan, tea plantations on mountainside terraces use specialized machines for production and processing.
Japanese taste preference is reflected in their tea production, where they have engineered their tea to be less sweet than that in China and be more potent and greener. In fact, to this day, Japan is well-known for its rich and diverse variety of green teas.
What did we drink before tea and coffee?
It is safe to say that nowadays, coffee and tea are a staple in Europe and the Middle East, and the Americas. However, they did not just start drinking a beverage in the morning before they began importing tea.
Before tea and coffee became the staple hot drinks of the morning or beverages used as a pick-me-up, in Europe, people enjoyed mulled wine and hot punch and, in some of the eras, a small beer. Most Europeans would also drink heated broth or a posset. A posset is a drink made from hot milk that is curdled with ale or wine.
Who invented …?
Who invented green tea?
After the discovery of tea by Shen Nung and its evolving methods of production and storage, all tea was mainly consumed in powder form or as a loose leaf. Up until the mid-17th century, all of the Chinese tea was green tea. Green tea was especially popular in China and Japan. In Japan especially, matcha became the tea of choice. It was made by whisking water into ground green tea instead of steeped brewing.
However, as the demand for tea grew and tea drinking spread to Europe, the Chinese growers discovered a special fermentation process. This way, they could preserve the tea leaves better to yield a type of tea that kept its aroma and flavor longer than the delicate green teas that had been in existence at this time. This resulted in the birth of black tea, which was more suitable for export journeys to far-off countries.
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Who invented Chai Tea?
Masala chai, which is sweet milky tea spiced with cinnamon and cardamom, originates from India. \’Chai\’, Swahili for \’tea\’, is a part of the Indian culture and Swahili communities. The sweet milky tea spread from India to the Middle East before being brought to the African Swahili culture. The use of spices such as ginger, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon in brewing the tea is what makes it masala chai.
Who invented Kombucha Tea?
Kombucha tea originates from Northeast China (Manchuria) in approximately 220 BC. It was praised for its healing properties and named after a Korean Physician, Dr. Kombu, who is said to have brought the fermented tea into Japan to act as a curative for the then emperor, Emperor Inkyo.
Who invented Earl Grey Tea?
The Earl Grey blend named after Charles Grey is said to have been a gift from a Chinese envoy. It consists of tea flavored with bergamot oil.
Who invented Rooibos Tea?
Rooibos tea comes from South Africa during pre-colonial times. In the late 19th century, the Khoi people\’s descendants enjoyed Rooibos as a traditional drink. These locals would climb the mountains and cut the leaves, which are fine and needle-like in appearance, from the wild Rooibos plants. They would then beat it on a flat rock before making an infusion or decoction with it.
Who invented Tea Bags?
After the end of the colonial period, the invention of the teabag ensured that the popularity of tea remained. Unlike the Chinese and Japanese tea ceremonies that were unhurried and emphasized the art of tea brewing itself, the western countries were after making tea brewing more convenient and reducing the time it took to brew tea and clean up.
The invention of the teabag was accidental.
According to what history traces, an American tea merchant, Thomas Sullivan, shipped out tea samples wrapped in silk pouches to his customers in 1908. However, he later found that these restaurants had misunderstood and started soaking the tea with the silk pouches in hot water while making tea.
They found this convenient and faster and asked Thomas for more. Later, a couple filed a patent for the teabag calling it a \’tea leaf holder. This would use a mesh fabric that was stitched into a bag that fits just the right amount of tea for a single cup\’s worth of brew.
Who invented Iced Tea?
Iced tea was popularized at the 1904 St. Louis World\’s Fair by an Englishman named Richard Blechnyden, who hosted a tea pavilion to promote Indian black teas. However, even before that, people in the Southern part of the US would drink cold tea or iced tea in the heat of the summer.
Who invented Bubble Tea?
Bubble tea is especially popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It originates from Taiwan and first appeared at a small tea stand in the early 1980s with fruit flavoring in tea that, when shaken, would form bubbles. Later, Liu Han Chieh introduced tapioca pearls that would be added to the tea and looked like bubbles.
Who invented Milk Tea?
Because the tea that China exported took a long time to get to its destination, it wasn\’t the best quality. As such, milk was used to help smoothen the taste. This practice of drinking milk tea that became popular with the Indians and the English first originated from the Tibetans. The Tibetans cooked the tea leaves in a cauldron together with yak butter that was sourced from yak milk. Later, cow milk was used as it was cheaper and easier to get.
Who invented Afternoon Tea?
Afternoon tea refers to the custom of drinking tea in the afternoon with snacks. It was introduced in England by the seventh Duchess of Bedford, Anna Russell, in the year 1840. The Duchess would get hungry at around four in the afternoon and would ask for a tray of tea with snacks such as bread and butter or cake to be brought to her room. Later, she started inviting friends over to enjoy afternoon tea with her and this became a fashionable social event.
Final words
There you are! There is so much history behind the tea we enjoy today and it is fun falling into a rabbit hole that tracks the history of tea from its invention to its modern consumption.