A Brief but Concise History of Tea

Tea’s story begins long before merchants traded silk, before monks crossed mountains, before teahouses lined the streets of ancient cities. It begins in the mists of myth — and with a single leaf.

Origins in Ancient China

The earliest legend credits Emperor Shen Nong, the father of agriculture and herbal medicine, with discovering tea in 2737 BCE. As the story goes, a tea leaf drifted into his boiling water, tinting it gold. He drank it, felt refreshed, and recognized its medicinal power — launching a tradition that would ripple across millennia.

Archaeological evidence supports tea’s deep Chinese roots. By the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE), tea was used as a medicinal tonic and a ritual offering. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), it emerged as a daily drink, celebrated in poetry, culture, and court life.

The Tang Dynasty & the Birth of Tea Culture

China’s Tang dynasty (618–907 CE) marked the beginning of tea as we know it. Tea cultivation, processing, and brewing techniques expanded. Scholars praised tea as a symbol of clarity and refinement, and the world’s first tea book, Lu Yu’s The Classic of Tea, appeared — a masterpiece that elevated tea from beverage to sacred art.

During this period, brick tea, powdered tea, and whisked tea were all common. Tea was becoming more than a drink — it was becoming culture.

Tea Travels to Japan

Buddhist monks carried tea seeds and knowledge to Japan in the 9th century. By the 12th century, Zen monk Eisai reintroduced tea cultivation and championed powdered green tea for meditation and health.

From these seeds grew the Japanese tea ceremony, anchored in harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. Matcha culture blossomed — a centuries-long refinement of ritual and aesthetics.

Tea Moves Westward

Tea began its journey west via the Silk Road and later through maritime trade. By the 16th century, Portuguese and Dutch traders introduced tea to Europe. What started as an exotic luxury became a daily pleasure.

The British adopted tea wholeheartedly. By the 18th century, afternoon tea, tea gardens, and tea salons flourished. The growing demand led to large-scale cultivation in India and Sri Lanka, shaping global tea markets.

Colonial Expansion & the Birth of New Tea Regions

The British East India Company, wanting to break China’s tea monopoly, established massive plantations in Assam and Darjeeling in the 1800s. This era created the distinctive black teas we know today — brisk Assam, floral Darjeeling, bold Ceylon — and cemented tea as a global commodity.

Though born in China, tea had now become a world traveler.

The Modern Era

Today, tea is grown in over 60 countries, enjoyed by billions, and expressed in countless forms — from artisanal oolongs to herbal tisanes to modern craft blends. Yet the essence remains the same: a simple leaf, carefully tended, offering comfort, clarity, and connection.

From ancient emperors to modern tea rooms, tea continues to bring people together — one cup, one moment, one ritual at a time.