Tea History
According to a legend, in about 2700 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung(神農) was sitting under a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created. The tree was a Camellia sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we now call tea.
We do not know whether there is any truth in this story, but tea drinking certainly became popular in China many centuries before it had even been heard of in the west. Containers for tea have been found in tombs dating from the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) but it was under the Tang dynasty (618-906 AD), that tea became established as the national drink of China. In the late eighth century Lu Yu wrote the first book about tea, the Ch'a Ching, or Tea Classic. Later tea was introduced to Japan by Japanese Buddhist monk Yensei, who had travelled to China to study. Tea drinking has become a vital part of Japanese culture, and the Tea Ceremony was developed, elevating tea to an art form.
Why the name "Tea"
Is it Chinese? Or from other Language?
"CHA", "TAY", "TEA"
The Chinese character "TEA" written with Chinese calligraphy brush.
In Chinese dialects, pronunciation of "tea" is divided into two classes based on phonetic similarity. In mandarin, "tea" is "CHA"; in XiaMenese (FuJian province), "tea" is "TAY".
CHA and TAY had different time and route spreading out to the rest of the world.
It dated back to the 5th century that CHA went beyond the Chinese border. Japanese simply use the Chinese character of tea (see insert on right) for tea. In Persia, tea was CHA and then later evolved into CHAI in Arabic, CHAY in Turkish and CHAI in Russian. Tea was also brought to India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh where it's called CHA.
TAY started spreading later than CHA but had reached much further than CHA did. Near the end of the Ming Dynasty, AD 1644, British merchants set up trading posts in XiaMen and came into contact with Chinese tea. What the XiaMen people called TAY, the British spelled as TEA. "Tea" then later has become wildly accepted by the English-speaking world. The French THE and German TEE are also decedents of TAY.
Tea Types
Tea has been used in China as a medicinal beverage to promote health in mind and body for about 5000 years.
The earliest known reference to tea as a health aid dates back to 2737 B.C. Green tea has been the beverage of choice among the Chinese elite intellects and bureaucrats who usually have the means to maintain an affluent dining habit.
Historically, freshly plucked tea leaves were used directly for tea brewing or lightly heat-processed for preservation of the "health ingredients" if not consumed immediately. The word "tea" always means green tea in the "Middle Kingdom".
Tea was an expensive beverage in ancient China. Its use was confined to the wealthy segments of the population. Only in Ming dynasty after the fall of the Mongolian.
Health Benefits of Tea
Remember when your parents used to say that tea would stunt your growth? That couldn't be farther from the truth. Medicinal properties in tea are beneficial to your health and well-being. Tea contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. A cup of tea has less than half the caffeine of coffee and is gentler on the body. While tea may not give you the fast kick that you get with a cup of coffee, it will certainly boost your energy levels and your immune system.
Tea is anything that comes from the tea plant - varieties include green tea, black tea, white tea and oolong tea. As long as the tea leaf is present, then you're going to have the benefits. Throw in your favourite herbal or spice blend, such as orange blossom or chai, and you're in for a treat. Consider also the added health benefits of herbal blends, such as peppermint for reducing hot flashes, ginger for aiding digestion, or Rooibos, which is caffeine-free and very high in antioxidants.