Fascinating Facts of Tea History

Tea has been an important part of human culture for centuries. The journey of tea from its first use in China to becoming the most popular drink in the world (after water) is fascinating. Here are some key highlights:

• From 4000 B.C. By the 1st century AD, there is evidence of possible tea cultivation in the Tianluo Mountains in eastern China.
• In 350 AD, tea plants from Yunnan Province were being cultivated along the Yangtze River in Sichuan Province, marking the definitive beginning of tea cultivation in China.
• By 600 AD, the Chinese character "c'ha," meaning tea, came into common use.
• In 900 AD, Japanese scholars returned from a trip to China with tea and introduced it to Japan.
• During the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD - 1644 AD), the Chinese began drinking tea by brewing whole tea leaves in hot water.
• By the 1400s, tea drinking became widespread in Japan. spread.
• In 1610 AD, the Dutch East India Company began trading tea in Europe. They procured tea and Chinese clay teapots from Portuguese traders in Macau and established trade relations with Japan. Tea came to Europe and was sold to wealthy people as an exotic medicinal product.
• In 1664 AD, the English East India Company introduced tea to England, and it quickly became popular with the aristocracy.
• By 1680 AD, tea drinking became a popular pastime in Europe due to a boom in all things Oriental. Adding milk to hot tea was practiced to prevent cracks in the delicate porcelain cups.
• In 1717 AD, Thomas Twinning converted his coffee house into the first tea shop, "The Golden Lyon," which became the first public meeting place for women.
• In 1784 AD, Thomas Twinning's grandson convinced Prime Minister William Pitt to abolish the high taxes on tea, which not only eliminated smuggling but also made tea an affordable luxury for Britons of all walks of life.
• In 1840 AD, Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford invented the "afternoon tea" to eliminate the "emptiness" feeling she felt during the long gap between breakfast and dinner.
• In 1900 AD, the Trans-Siberian Railway was completed, which ended the camel caravan trade between Russia and China. In Russia, tea became the national drink (along with vodka).
• In England, tea rooms became a popular meeting place for the working class to take their afternoon tea.
• In 1903 AD, the first patents for tea bags were filed.
• In 1904 AD, the first "iced tea" was served at the World's Fair in St. Louis. A tea merchant had planned to give away samples of his tea to visitors to the exhibition, and not knowing what to do when a heat wave threatened his plans, he put ice in his hot tea.
• Today, over 5 million metric tons of tea are grown and produced worldwide in more than 40 countries.