7:00 PM

Origin of Tea Beverage

The Chinese have been drinking tea for 5,000 years. The origin of tea in the first place is still a legend. The most famous legend is the story of Emperor Shen Nung (pronounced: 'Shay-Nung'). The discovery of tea to him has not been placed properly in history, namely in the year 2737 BC.

For thousands of years, the Chinese drink tea for health and enjoyment. No one knows what causes they are interested in green and glossy leaves of Camellia sinensis, but popular legend can give us knowledge.



One day, when Emperor Shen Nung was boiling water will take some leaves from a tree that hung in the wind and fell on the pan of boiling water. The Emperor wants to know and decide to taste the cooking water that does not resemble the drink. The Emperor found the cooking water is delicious and refreshing the body.

Legend of connecting India with the monk Bodhidharma tea discovery. The monks are very tired after ending his hermitage for 7 years. In desperation he chewed some leaves that grow near it, which refreshed him back immediately.

India is currently the largest tea producer in the world, but there is no historical record of tea in India before the nineteenth century. Experiments of Bodhidharma tea chewing never disseminated to the general public at the time.

Another mythology of Japan concerning the ascetic monk, Bodhidharma, explaining how he throw the heavy eyelids to the ground in frustration unable to stay awake. Tea tree grows where it is throwing his eyelids. The leaves of this tree grows new borring miraculously healed.



Tea is not native to Japan, then this mythology gives no explanation for the existence of a sudden in Japan. The reality is less diverse: in the early nineteenth century, a monk from Japan who came home from wanderings, called Dengyo Daishi brought tea seeds from China.

The method of making tea with an open pan that was introduced by Emperor Shen Nung was evident after such a long time running. It takes 4,000 years before the method of making tea that we know today were developed.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Chinese began to make tea with boiling water. With a little adaptation, where traditional wine pouring from the Chinese who use the cover to be a perfect pot of tea.

Definition of "Tea"
'Tea' in the world with all its variations in spelling and pronunciation come from a single source. 'Te', means 'tea' in China Amoy dialect. China's national language of the word tea, 'cha', also produced several other words in the world of derivatives.

Tea into Europe in the early seventeenth century. Compared to the excess tea in terms of treatment, the Europeans prefer the aroma of coffee. Only among a few small groups of the nobility, who popularized the tea.

The entry of Tea Into Europe
In the early seventeenth century, merchants from the Dutch and the Portuguese first introduced tea to Europe. Portuguese merchants sent by ship from the port of China, Macao, while the Dutch merchants brought from Indonesia to Europe.

The new beverage that comes along with a cargo of silks and spices are not experiencing success in a flash. Europeans tasting tea, but they prefer the smell of coffee. While British merchants waited until 1652 before finally beginning to trade tea.

The Russians are a fan of early tea. Tea they consumed came overland from China to use carts pulled by camels. As a fan of tea in Russia increases, the line camel carrying the elongated tea.

In the late eighteenth century, several thousand camel-drawn carts, approximately 200-300 trains at one time crossed the Chinese border. Cross-Siberian railway line to replace camel-drawn carts, but it leaves the romantic journey of the popular memory of a mixture of black tea gently China which is famous as Russian Caravan.

Kingdom of Tea Progress Through
In the seventeenth century in Europe, none of which helped the sales of tea in addition to customers of the royal family.

Tea to be special in 1662, when King Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese national and a daughter tea fans. Catherine started the tradition of drinking tea in the palace, using a transparent bowl and teapot made in China - and soon the other courtiers followed the how.

At that time the price of tea considered expensive, but now it is becoming common. Instantly tea became fashionable and exclusive. According to the point of view of the nobility, it is something interesting.

In the 17th century, in Europe, tea is a practical product that has great usability. Most water is not drinkable. For those who want to avoid the disease, the choice was not encouraging: a cup of boiling water, or beer that is strong enough to kill bacteria.

In Britain and some countries, where beer is a common beverage for breakfast, tea became a welcome another alternative. At the end of satisfying the thirst of tea into a warm and refreshing, full of flavor, and is safe to drink.

In the 18th century, in a wealthy family, drinking tea is a great event in the celebration. High value tea leaves are often stored in a locked storage box, where there is only one key.

Once or twice a week, the hostess will unlock it and serve tea to treat the family, or to give the impression of the special guests.

Tea is served with china has good quality, which indicates the level of wealth, in addition to add to the meaning of the celebration. It is also an opportunity for women to show off their skin is pale and delicate bone structure than Chinese porcelain. Two of these attributes is a measure of the purity of a woman at that time.

Social life in the early mid-18th century to move from habits such as coffee shops replaced by tea gardens. Tea garden to be like paradise: the trees on the roadside, lanterns that illuminate walkways, music, dance, fireworks, and good food accompanied with a delicious cup of tea.

Tea garden is not only a fun place, but also a place for social gatherings. In this exotic place, the royal family and ordinary people can walk together.

Consumption of tea increased dramatically during the early 19th century. Mode and price reductions that are difficult to build a market filled with goods suppliers. To break the monopoly of China's tea trade turned to India to fill the gap.

The entry of "Tea" to India
While tea consumption increased at the beginning of the 19th century, the East India Company to find new sources of supply. Since the Chinese monopoly on tea namely, the solution is to plant tea everywhere.

The first experiment with tea seeds from China managed in Assam, northeast India. But the experiment was not successful, although the same seeds grew well in Darjeeling, northern India.

Then in 1820, the botanists found a local plant that has not been identified. They send leaf samples to London for analysis. Examples of these leaves immediately recognizable as a tea - plants that did not at first known in India - and Indian tea industry was born.



0 Responses to “Origin of Tea Beverage”

Post a Comment