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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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