Tea History
Tea is believed to be known for the first time in China-2737BC-
When the Chinese Emperor SHEN NUNG was sitting beneath a tree; while his servant boiled drinking water a leaf fall from the tree in to his water and the Emperor drinked that water.
There are many authentic and supposed references to tea in the centuries before the Christ, according to the Chinese dictionary dated circa 350 A.D.
From the earliest times teas was renowned for its properties as a healthy, refreshing drink. By the third century Ad many stories were being told and some written about tea and the benefits of tea drinking, but it was not until the Tang Dynasty(6818-906 BC) that tea became China’s national drink and the word ch’a was used to describe tea.
The modern term “tea” derives from early Chinese dialect words- such Tchai, Cha and Tay- used to both describe the beverage and the leaf. Known as Camellia sinensis, tea is an evergreen plant of the Camellia family. It has smooth, shiny pointed leaves which look similar to the privet hedge leaf found in the British gardens.