A History and Overview of Tea

Tea is a beverage that is made from hot or boiling water poured over cured or fresh leaves. There are a wide variety of kinds and flavors of tea.

Some varieties include green tea, black tea and oolong tea. Tea can be sweetened with honey, fruit or sugar or be drunk unsweetened.

Some people even like to add milk into their tea, which makes it smoother to drink. There is even Bubble Tea, which is a popular drink made from milk tea and tapioca pearls created in Taiwan in the 1980s.

Tea drinking is done in the morning or evening, depending on the type of tea. Some have caffeine and some can help you relax before bed.

Tea can be consumed hot or iced, depending on your preference.

Tea has been around for nearly 5,000 years and is enjoyed all around the world. It is the second most commonly consumed beverage in the world, just after water.

There are numerous health benefits linked to certain types of tea such as green tea. Green tea has improved heart health and blood flow, as well as lower cholesterol.

There is a rich history of tea and how tea has become so popular over the last few centuries.

What Year was Tea Invented?

Tea is said to have originated almost 5,000 years ago in 2737 B.C.

Tea Originated From Which Country?

Although we commonly associate tea as a British drink, tea actually originated in ancient China almost five millenniums ago during the Tang Dynasty.

Who First Invented Tea?

The person who is credited with being the person who invented tea is Emperor Shen Nung. There is a story that is associated with Emperor Shen Nung’s discovery of tea, although we don’t quite know if it is true.

Containers of tea had been found in tombs that dated back as early as the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD).

What Legends are Associated with the Origin of Tea?

The story is said to be that Emperor Shen Nung was sitting under a tree one afternoon while one of his servants was boiling drinking water. While the water was boiling, some leaves from the tree above them fell into the pot of boiling water.

Emperor Shen Nung, who was a renowned herbalist, decided he wanted to taste the mixture of leaves and water that his servant accidentally created.

The tree was a Camellia Sinensis and the drink that was created is now what we commonly call tea.

Who Invented Tea Bags?

Tea bags were created by Roberta C Lawson and Mary Molaren, which they originally called ‘Tea-Leaf Holders’, changing the way tea consumption was done.

Before the tea bag was invented, tea was made by pouring hot water over the leaves in a tea strainer. These two women created the first tea bags in 1901 in an effort to make smaller, single cup batches of tea, as opposed to a whole pot that goes to waste.

They decided this meant the tea would be made in the cup you were going to drink out of, but the tea leaves couldn’t just float in the water, thus the patented mesh bag was born.

Tea Today

As time went on, China introduced tea to the Japanese, which now have become a huge part of Japanese culture.

Tea later grew in popularity in Europe during the sixteenth century when goods were being imported from outside of Europe.

Today, tea is drunk all over the world, but most commonly in countries in Europe and Asia.

I am an avid tea lover who rates and reviews teas on my blog, A Girl With Tea. If you’re a fellow tea lover too be sure to check out more on my blog and follow along with my updates.