| The Origins of TeaAccording to mythological | | | | to a reddish color. These cakes were crumbled |
| fables, there are many tales of the origin of | | | | into the water and boiled, meanwhile adding |
| tea. The first one comes from over 4500 years | | | | onion, ginger, and orange peel. This tea was |
| ago. The Second Chinese Emperor Chen | | | | considered to be a good remedy for stomach |
| Sung(circa 2737-2697 BC) was sitting beneath | | | | problems, bad eyesight and many other |
| a tree while his servant was boiling some | | | | diseases, but must have been a very bitter |
| water. A leaf from the tree above fell into | | | | brew indeed.Around about the 8th Century the |
| the boiling water and Chen Sung tried the | | | | bricks of tea were now boiled with only a |
| brew and liked it. The tree was a tea tree, | | | | little bit of salt. In the Tang Dynasty, this |
| of course.Another fabled origin of tea comes | | | | tea recipe was the national drink of the |
| from Bodhidharma, the traditional founder of | | | | ruling classes. Tea was beginning to be |
| the Zen school of Buddhism. The Japanese | | | | exported to Tibet, Turkey , India, and Russia |
| claim that he brought tea with him from India | | | | because of its easy transportability.The |
| to China. The Indian legend proclaims that | | | | first mention of tea outside China and Japan |
| after 5 years of a 7 year sleepless | | | | was by the Arabs in 850 AD. Some say that |
| meditation exercise on the Lord Buddha, | | | | they introduced it into Europe throught the |
| BoddhiDharma began to feel sleepy. He | | | | port of Venice. The Portuguese paved the way |
| immediately plucked a few leaves from a | | | | for the entry of tea into Europe also because |
| nearby bush and chewed them which thereby | | | | of their exploration of the sea passages to |
| kept him awake. The bush was | | | | China as early as the 16th Century. Jesuit |
| | | | priests coming back from the East brought |
| a wild bush tree. Another story along these | | | | back their tea drinking habits back to |
| lines has him plucking off his eyebrows when | | | | Portugal. The Dutch merchants got in on the |
| they started drooping and he threw them on | | | | act as well. In 1610, regular shipments of |
| the ground. It is reputed that 2 tea trees | | | | tea to ports in France and Holland were |
| sprang up that had the power to keep him | | | | started. In the late 17th Century, the |
| awake and alert.Whatever the truth is, the | | | | English East India Company entered the |
| raw leaves of the tea tree were probably used | | | | trade.Beginnings of the names for tea.In the |
| as food from the earliest times by the native | | | | 4th Century in China, the Chinese word t'u |
| populations of Southern China. A chinese text | | | | was often used to describe shrubs besides |
| of 50 BC mentions tea being prepared by | | | | tea. The modern term for tea comes from early |
| servants. Historians and scholars have tea | | | | chinese dialect words such as Tchai, Cha and |
| being cultivated in Szechuan around the 3rd | | | | Tay. These words were used to pertain to both |
| Century AD. There are many authentic | | | | the drink and the leaf. Tea is known as Cha |
| references to tea in the Chinese dictionary | | | | or Chai in India to this day. In japan, the |
| circa 350 AD.In the 8th Century the Chinese | | | | word Cha is used to describe both tea and a |
| author Lu Yu wrote the first book on tea, the | | | | hot broth.Early Benefits of Tea.From the |
| "Ch'a Ching". This book summarised all the | | | | earliest times tea was recognised and enjoyed |
| accumulated knowledge to date about tea | | | | because it is a healthy refreshing beverage. |
| growing and preparation. There were many | | | | Made from the dried leaves of the camellia |
| illustrations of tea making utensils. This | | | | sinensis plant, tea is said to have |
| book succeeded in giving a major impetus to | | | | antioxidant properties, can fight the flu |
| the drinking of tea by the upper classes. | | | | virus, and boosts the immune system. |
| Some say that this book inspired the Buddhist | | | | |
| priests to create the Japanese tea | | | | Benefits of tea and the spiritual and health |
| ceremony.Early Processing of tea.In the 4th | | | | factors that add to our enjoyment of the |
| Century the fresh green tea leaves were | | | | refreshing taste. |
| picked , squeezed into cakes and then roasted | | | | |