Have you ever been to a tea party? They’re not just for kids! People across the world enjoy afternoon tea. It’s a great way to rest and get ready for the end of the day. People have been drinking tea for thousands of years. Have you ever WONDERed how it started?
The story of tea is mixed with legend. In 2737 BCE, Chinese Emperor Shen Nong was boiling water in his garden. A falling leaf from a nearby tree landed in the pot. When he drank the water, the emperor liked the flavor infused from the leaf. After further study, the emperor found that the drink had many positive effects. He made it a regular part of his diet.
Was tea really made by accident? We can’t be sure. However, experts do believe that the tea plant started in regions of China, Tibet, and India. Traders traveled from these places carrying tea leaves elsewhere.
Widespread tea-drinking started around 618 CE. Soon, tea became China’s national drink. During the “romantic age” of tea (960-1280), references to tea appeared in poetry and art. Chinese culture influenced nearby regions, and before long, tea was popular across East Asia.
Much later, traders brought tea to Europe. Explorer Marco Polo was one of the early Europeans to write about the drink. However, tea wasn’t commonly traded in Europe until the 17th Century. The Dutch East India Company sold tea leaves in Europe for the first time in 1610, and Russian merchants brought tea along the Silk Road around the same time.
In 1657, Thomas Garraway opened the first tea shop in England. Soon, the drink spread to other English cafes. Catherine of Braganza, who married King Charles II, drank tea, further popularizing it among the British people. However, it was too expensive for most people to buy. In its early years, tea was most often consumed by royalty and wealthy families.
Tea quickly became a tool of political power for England. As the nation’s empire spread, it sold tea through the British East India Company. It put heavy taxes on the drink in both India and the United States. This would even lead to protests, including the Boston Tea Party.