The Tea Tradition, Part II

I thought it would be nice to include a little more on the origins of tea after last week's post.

Tea in China:
It is impossible to know whether there is any truth to this story but tea drinking was popular in China many centuries before it had even been heard of in the West. Containers for tea have been found in tombs dating from the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), but it was under the Tang dynasty (618-906 AD) that tea became firmly established as the national drink of China. It became such a favorite that during the late Eighth Century a writer called Lu Yu wrote the first book entirely about tea, the Ch'a Ching, or Tea Classic.

Tea in Japan:
Tea was first introduced to Japan by Japanese Buddhist monks who had traveled to China to study. Tea drinking has become a vital part of Japanese culture, as seen in the development of the Tea Ceremony, which may be rooted in the rituals described in the Ch'a Ching.

Tea in Europe:
In 1560 A.D., the Portuguese missionary Jesuit Father Jasper de Cruz was the first European to encounter and write about tea. After its arrival in Portugal, it was shipped to Lisbon, then to France, Holland and the Baltic countries.


Tea Arrives in England:
Although we assume that tea originated in England and the British culture, it is interesting to find out that the first sample of tea reached England when Catherine de Braganza brought chests of it in her dowry for her marriage to Charles II in 1663. Charles and Catherine's affinity for tea quickly popularized it amongst the upper classes and the British tea trade began in earnest in the 1670's, thanks to the British East India Company. By 1880, afternoon tea had spread to the homes of the upper classes and to tea shops across the country. There were two types of tea traditions: low tea and high tea. Low tea was for the wealthy aristocrats. It was served elegantly with menus centered around small cakes, dainty sandwiches, assorted sweets, other gourmet tidbits and, of course, tea and where the emphasis was not only on presentation but conversation. Midway through the Industrial Revolution, working classes adopted a variation of high tea for themselves: a heavier meal served with tea at 5 PM, upon their return home from work and consisted of meats, vegetables and tea. The U.S. has a slightly different focus on some aspects of afternoon tea and the terms high and low teas have changed in today's society, as people often associate the term "high tea" with the wealthy and "low tea" with the working class.

The Tea Tradition

A unique event request I received this week was for a special tea for two by a fiancé who is planning to propose to his sweetheart on Valentine's Day. How sweet is that? This matches a request I received last year from a gentleman who wanted to serenade his wife at the office with a "Sing-A-Rama" to a Luther song.

Therefore, it is natural that this week's article will be about tea. Let's begin by looking at the History of Tea.


The Legendary Origin of Tea:
Although tea is typically thought of as being a British tradition, we have been drinking it for over 350 years. The story really begins in China. According to a legend of the Chinese Mythological Emperor Shen-Nung (a renowned herbalist and healer) was taking a break from his expedition, sat under a Camellia Sinensi tree while boiling drinking water when some leaves from the tree fell into the water. He decided to try the infusion, he liked what he tasted and felt energized very quickly. He therefore decided to collect some leaves in order to further experiment on them, which then resulted into the drink we now call tea.

Some Great Tea Facts:
• A cup of black tea has half the amount of caffeine of a cup of coffee.
• In one day, an experienced tea picker can collect around 70 pounds of tea! That's enough tea to make 14,000 cups!
• There are four main types of tea: white, green, oolong, and black. But depending on the influence of culture, these four types can turn into thousands of varieties.
• The most interesting of tea facts is that all tea comes from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis.
• Did you know that tea can help abate your appetite? Good news for people who are dieting.
Above facts from The Color of Tea.


Some Necessi-Teas:

The World In Your Teacup by Lisa Boalt Richardson

Five-Piece Silver Tea Set

Tea Strainers for loose-leaf tea

Elegant Porcelain Teapot

Other Interesting Tidbits:
• How many of you know that there is an Annual Coffee and Tea Festival in New York? This year's event will be on February 19th and 20th from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and registration is now open.
• The evolution of the tea cup began in China and spread through Europe in the 17th century as a handle-free vessel. Chinese teacups had no handles and were held by the thumb and forefinger at the lip and base of the sup. European's intolerance of the hot temperature eventually led to the addition of the handle.
• During the 17th century, Mme de La Sabliere, a French hostess of an influential literary salon was credited for being among the first to add milk to tea.
• During both world wars, teacups helped denote status, as officers sipped from china, and enlisted troops drank from metal or tin cups.
Above tidbits from the January issue of Tea Time Magazine.