 In the year 2737 B.C., Emporer Shen Nung was said to have been resting under a wild tea tree, when a slight breeze forced a few tea leaves to gently drift into some simmering water he was preparing. From here on, tea was discovered as he found it to be revitalizing, refreshing and delicious. It is not possible to know whether Shen Nung actually existed or if embodied as a mythical element of the agricultural, herbal and cultural developments of China. There was no written reference to the tea leaf until the third century B.C. when a famous Chinese surgeon recommended it for increasing concentration and alertness. Tu was the ancient name for tea but was also the Chinese character used for sow thistle. An emperor of the Han Dynasty ruled that for distinction, when referring to tea, it should be pronounced cha, thus the origin of many well-known teas such as genmatcha, and sencha. Tea is also referred to as tisane. As popularity grew, farmers began to cultivate tea bushes on small holdings and a system of drying was soon developed. Tea was presented as a gift to emperors and also appeared in social settings. Barter trade began around A.D. 476 with the Turkish people and resulting from continued growth, came teaware. During the Tang Dynasty, fresh tea leaves were picked, steamed, crushed and then mixed with a plum juice into a paste that became molded into a “tea cake”. Later, during the Song Dynasty (A.D. 960-1279), the tea cake was ground to a fine powder while placed in boiling water, and this process was repeated 5 or 6 times using the same tea. The addition of spices was not favorable as the more delicate taste of jasmine, chrysanthemum and lotus flowers were preferred as additives. Green tea was all that was produced in China until the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644), Ming tea was not molded into cakes, but was left loose. As foreign trade increased, tea was required to retain its quality during travels, and thus, black tea and flower-scented teas were developed. Black tea is a result of longer drying periods. It is believed a Chinese emperor served tea to several hundred Buddhist monks and the first seeds for planting tea in Japan was said to be carried by Dengyo Daishi, a monk who spent two years in China. Tea drinking and Buddhists beliefs developed in unison, whereas in China, rituals associated with tea drinking dissipated. The Japanese Tea Ceremony is still very active in Japan with involvement in precise patterns of behavior designed to create a quiet connection among guests which provides for a spiritual refreshment and harmony with the universe. Tea captures the philosophy of nature’s gift to the body and spirit while interweaving respect, harmony, purity and tranquility. The Japanese refer to it as “the art of life”. Tea makes its way to Europe via the Dutch or Portuguese in the early 17th century. The Portuguese shipped tea from China to Portugal and from there, the Dutch East India Company carried the tea to the Baltics, Holland and France. The Dutch also transported Japanese teas and when tea arrived in France, the addition of milk grew out of drinking black tea for breakfast. Some now popular breakfast teas include Earl Grey, Assam and English Breakfast. Although tea was originally suggested for medicinal use, making its way through China, Japan, Europe and finally to the U.S., it has re-emerged today with many blends, flavors and aromas from the addition of botanicals and natural oils, but is now experiencing an even greater discovery of its health benefits derived from scientific studies, and this type of information is expected to be found through further testing and studies. Tea is nature’s gift to the body and spirit!
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