A (very) brief history of tea

Tea, the world’s most-consumed beverage after water, boasts a rich history that spans thousands of years. Its origins trace back to ancient China, where Emperor Shennong is said to have discovered the delightful drink in 2737 BCE when tea leaves blew into his boiling water. This fortunate accident, according to legend, marked the beginning of tea’s long journey.

Historically, tea consumption became widespread during the Tang Dynasty (唐朝, 618–907). During this period, tea was mainly consumed as jiancha (煎茶), which involved boiling crushed, roasted tea leaves in hot water to create a beverage that resembled soup.
During this time, tea also began to make its way to Japan, thanks to Buddhist monks who appreciated its meditative qualities. The Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu, 茶の湯) emerged, emphasising the artistry and mindfulness in tea preparation.

The Song Dynasty (宋朝, 960–1279) brought further innovations to tea culture. During this period, diancha (點茶) became popular, which involved grinding tea leaves into a powder and whisking it with hot water in a bowl to create a frothy crown. Tea drinking became a refined art form, and poets and scholars wrote about the aesthetic pleasures of tea.
The Ming Dynasty (明朝, 1368–1644) saw another significant change: tea was prepared loose rather than in pressed form. This allowed for a broader range of teas and flavours to be enjoyed.

With the expansion of trade routes, tea found its way to the Middle East and Central Asia. By the 16th century, European explorers and traders had encountered this exotic beverage. The Portuguese were among the first to ship tea to Europe, but it was the British who truly established it. The introduction of tea to the British court is attributed to Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese wife of King Charles II, who made tea a fashionable drink in the 17th century. This eventually led to the establishment of tea gardens and the ritual of afternoon tea.

The influence of the British East India Company in the 18th and 19th centuries played a crucial role in spreading tea cultivation to India. With its favourable climate, India soon became a major tea producer, competing with China. The birth of Indian tea varieties such as Assam and Darjeeling introduced the world to new aromas and flavours – though the Chinese tea plants now grown in Darjeeling did not find their way there legally and were primarily cultivated by the locals for the benefit of their British colonisers. But that is a story for another time.

Today, tea is a global phenomenon enjoyed in myriad forms – green, black, oolong, white, and more. Whether sipped in a traditional ceremony or prepared pragmatically in modern daily life, tea remains a symbol of mindfulness, enjoyment – and connections across cultures.