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 The
origin of tea can be traced back to over 4000 years
ago in China. No one is sure where and when tea was
first brewed; stories about tea's origins are more
myth than reality. One story tells that a legendary
Chinese leader and medical expert, Sheng Nong,
discovered tea as a medicinal herb in 2737 B.C. One
day while he was boiling water under a tea tree, some
tealeaves fell into Sheng's pot of boiling water.
After drinking some tea, he discovered its miraculous
powers and immediately placed tea on his list of
medicinal herbs.
Initially
used as an offering and as medicine, tea became the
most commonly used beverage during western Han
dynasty. Buddhist monks started growing it around
monasteries. Later, during the Ming dynasty, the tea
trade took an upper share in the state economy and the
”Tea and Horse Bureau" was set up to supervise
tea trade.
A
Buddhist Monk introduced tea to Japan in the 6th
Century and later in the 16th Century a
Portuguese missionary introduced it to Europe. There
began the history of Tea as an international drink.
Trade between China and the western world grew
considerably with the beginning of the Ching
Dynasty. As the Emperor of China was taking his
first snuff of tobacco brought from Europe, the Queen
of England was sipping her first cup of tea. As early
as 1615, English traders with the East India Company
were aware of the existence of tea. Tea quickly spread
throughout Europe and in less than 100 years,
England's import of tea rose from 100 pounds a year to
over 5 million pounds per year. This demand for tea
meant many voyages to bring shiploads of tea from
China.
Along
with the tea, came porcelain.
To stabilize these large ships they required ballast.
( heavy objects or weights in the lowest section of
the hull of
the ship to counterbalance the weight of the masts and
sails) On their journey eastward, the ballast
consisted of lead and sulpher, which was traded to the
Chinese for tea. They needed something cheap and of
equal weight for the journey home. Porcelain goods
were the perfect solution.
Unlike
tea, which took time to cultivate and could only be
grown in certain climates, the only requirement for
porcelain was clay and craftsmen. Both of which were
abundant in China. The Chinese were eager to supply
porcelain goods to the west, as they could turn dirt
into gold with the addition of labor. By the end of
the 18th century, millions of pieces of porcelain were
being produced for export.
Benefits
of Drinking Tea
Much
was written in ancient Chinese books about tea, and in
particular, about its health benefits: “Drinking
genuine tea aids in quenching thirst and in digestion,
checks phlegm, wards off sleepiness, stimulates renal
activity, improves eyesight and mental prowess,
dispels boredom and dissolves greasy food.”
In
recent years, the legendary medicinal properties of
tea have been given serious scientific support.
Studies have shown that drinking four cups of green
tea a day can reduce the risk of developing stomach
and lung cancer as well as heart disease. Green tea
contains, among others, the cancer-fighting flavonoid
epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC). ECGC is unique in
that it seems to battle cancer at all stages, from
thwarting chemical carcinogens, to suppressing the
spread of tumors. ECGC is as much as 100 times more
powerful an antioxidant as vitamin C, and 25 times
more powerful than vitamin E. ECGC also may account
for the antibacterial properties of green tea.
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