The history of tea began before our era. In ancient times, people learned to prepare a noble drink with special energy from the leaves. Tea bushes are relatively unpretentious and rather hardy plants, able to grow on poor soils and withstand significant temperature changes, without special care and maintenance.
The history of tea is full of legends, mysteries and controversial facts. China is considered the birthplace of the plant, where it was grown already in the fifth millennium BC. Here it began to be used first as an antidote, and then the drink became fashionable among aristocrats. Therefore, they say that the history of Chinese tea is the longest. However, the fact that the first tea plants were known here is not a reliable fact.
Relatively recent studies have shown that in India, in the southern Himalayas and in Tibet, plantations of tea plants were also known at that time. Therefore, the question of the historical homeland of tea remains open to this day. However, there is no doubt that it is precisely from the East Asianregion, he began his journey into European, Russian and American culture.
The history of tea in Europe began in the 16th century, when the Portuguese and the Dutch opened a sea route to China, where they got acquainted with an exotic drink, which at first was served only to the imperial table. Over time, the drink became more accessible and began to be used everywhere. Tea was brought to Great Britain by the East Indian company and immediately became popular with the royal court and the nobility. The popularity of the drink here was also facilitated by the fact that India, which at that time was a British colony, was actively involved in its production. In the 18th century, tea reached New Amsterdam across the Atlantic.
The history of tea in Russia begins in 1638, when the Russian Ambassador Vasily Starkov was given tea leaves in the form of gifts from the French for Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. At first, tea was considered exclusively a medicinal drink. The contract for the first delivery of tea to Russia from China was signed in 1769. The drink was delivered by land, even the rarest varieties were imported, which were exchanged for furs. Black tea became the most popular, as its price was much lower than green tea. In the 19th century, with the advent of the railway, the drink became known in all regions of the country
It is known that until about the fifth century, tea was used as a he alth drink and was widely used in medicine. Gradually, tea drinking began to turn into a special event at meetings.
Chinese ceremony traditions startedspread throughout the world. The history of tea has acquired a new meaning: the drink has ceased to be considered a medicine, turning into an exquisite pleasure.
The seeds of the tea plant were brought to Japan by a Buddhist monk. The emperor himself contributed to the spread of tea in this country, so the drink quickly became popular in various spheres of life there. Tea drinking has become a real art form, it has been taught for years. A new form of architecture has even been developed for “tea houses.”
