No one would ever have guessed that when emperor and scholar, Shen Nung discovered the humble tea leaf in 2737 AD that it would go on to have all the elements of a blockbuster hit movie complete with adventure and intrigue, riches made and lost, war, revolution, power, fame, and massive social change, as it made its way around the world. |
No one knows for certain if the date given for Shen Nung’s discovery of tea in 2737 AD, when a leaf, carried on the wind, landed in his pot of boiling water is accurate, but it is the accepted legend.From the time of its discovery the Chinese immediately recognized the medicinal value of tea, using it for everything from a digestive aid, to help relieve rheumatism, to a topical ointment to help soothe skin problems.Up until the Han Dynasty (AD 206-220) it is |
meet the ever growing demand for the raw tea leaves. High quality crops and improved manu- facturing methods developed during this time, ensured a thriving tea trade throughout China, helping to earn massive fortunes for the tea traders.By the end of the third century tea was established as China’s national drink. In AD 332, Zhang Yi wrote the first detailed account of manufact- ure, detailing how the plants were laid out, pruned and plucked, and the method of processing.During the fourth and fifth centuries tea was seen in a new light. No longer was it just drunk as a medicinal tonic, but was now seen as a pleasurable drink. It was also a time of growth as many new planta- tions were added along the Yangtze River Valley. The Tang Dynasty saw strict new rules of Cha In Cha Chang, Lu Yu wrote about methods of cultivation, describing the tea plant and health benefits. He Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279) the Chinese Tea By this time the Chinese had begun trading tea to Tibet and Arab India to Macedonia.In the 16th century China began trade with Europe. Unfortunat- All Chinese teas were green up to this point in history. Under the Ming Dynasty The Chinese continued their practice of drinking green teas, but happily provided new |