Your shopping cart is empty!
FREE SHIPPING OVER 35€
WELCOME COUPON €5 "CIAO5"
The history of tea, its origins, how it has become the second most consumed beverage in the world in over 4500 years, and the many variations of this infusion of camellia sinensis have always fascinated us. For a long time, we have wanted to write an in-depth article on the origins of tea and how it gradually spread to the West. Partly because tea is one of our greatest passions that has turned into a job (if you haven't discovered it yet, check out our online tea shop with over 600 different products), but also because we have often come across forums and online discussions where many seek information about the birth of tea, where its use began, and even questions like "who invented tea." However, in most cases, the answers were incorrect. So let's clarify a bit!
The history and origins of tea have very ancient roots. The homeland of tea is indeed China, and the first uses of this plant are traced back to around 2500 B.C.
Initially, the plant was not used for recreational purposes, but for medicinal purposes: the leaves were crushed, ground, and consumed. Tea, in fact, had mainly antimicrobial and antibiotic properties, which is why the ancient populations of Southern China used it. And it is precisely here that tea was born, in Southern China: the region we now know as Yunnan is one of the focal points from which tea began to spread to Northern China through the migration of Southern Chinese to the north, the homeland of Chinese tea!
For a long time, the use of tea and its cultivation remained exclusive to the Chinese population, who began to engage in arts and crafts around this plant; for example, the creation of porcelain teapots, cups, and a whole series of artisanal products were the exclusive property of the Chinese (some reproductions are available for sale in our online shop: visit the teapots and tea sets section). These creations were also made to please the emperor; in fact, it was the emperors who, boasting the use and consumption of tea leaves, possessed the most precious leaves and harvests, which were directly sent to the imperial court.
CHOOSE FROM HUNDREDS OF VARIETIES OF TEA
For a long time, until the 800 - 900 A.D., tea was consumed only in China. Only with the arrival of Buddhist monks from India did tea begin to spread. The wanderings of the Buddhist monks who arrived in China gave them the opportunity to learn about this plant and be fascinated by its properties. In particular, tea helped the monks stay awake during long meditations.
Only starting from the year 1000, leaves and seeds of the plant were brought to Japan, making it the second largest tea-producing country, famous worldwide for the rich variety and high quality of Japanese teas.
Now let's make a long temporal leap and arrive in the 17th century, when Western merchants first appeared in China: the first were the Portuguese, followed by the Spanish and subsequently by the English. Thanks to them and their first contacts with Asia, tea slowly began to spread in Europe.
The spread of tea in the West - and the different varieties of tea - mainly occurred thanks to the passion that the English began to have for this precious beverage; in fact, English noble courts went crazy for this plant and began to demand it more and more, until a real commercial market for tea plants was born. Therefore, the plant was cultivated in China, transported on the ships of Portuguese, Spanish, and English merchants, and brought, during a very long journey, to Europe. The beverage became part of different traditions and took on different names in different languages: find out more in our blog article where we talk about the different ways to write the word tea!
This commercial situation continued for a long time, and the demand for tea in England became increasingly greater, until tired of buying tea from China, they opted for a trick. All this happened thanks to the fascinating story of a spy botanist, Robert Fortune, who was sent to China to "steal" the tea plants and bring them to India.
India at that time, in the 19th century, was a British colony, and after a long time, Robert Fortune managed to steal the tea plants and bring them to their destination. It was here that the first cultivations were started at the foothills of the Himalayas, in the Darjeeling region: today, a very famous region for the quality of its teas (check out all our rare Darjeeling teas).
Thanks to these significant events in the history and origins of tea, today it is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and it is claimed to be the second most consumed beverage after water.
Originally, tea was not prepared as we do today by infusing dried leaves. Instead, the leaves were powdered, and various spices were added - especially by non-Chinese populations, such as the Mongols who added pepper and butter. For a long time, tea was therefore consumed in powder form, and this is how it has remained in Japan today, as we have already written in the post on preparing Japanese matcha.
Our journey from the origins of tea to today concludes here. A journey that has lasted over 4500 years, which we hope has fascinated you and allowed you to increase your knowledge of the world of tea.
DISCOVER HUNDREDS OF VARIETIES OF RARE TEA
