TEA

A page devoted to the history of our national drink.

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c. 3000 BC: Shen Nung, an early Chinese emperor, is travelling through his empire. Whilst his servants are boiling his water, some leaves from a tea-bush fall into it. The world changes thanks to gravity.....

800 AD: The Ch'a Ching, written by Buddshist monk Lu Yu, is the first book on tea.

1556: Jesuit priest Father Jasper de Cruz tasts the 'new' drink. The new drink gradually filters (sorry!) into Europe. Portugal becomes dominant in the tea trade.

1635-1675: Debate rages in Europe over the benefits and dangers of tea. It is most popular in the English colonies in America. The Netherlands has replaced Portugal as the dominant tea-trader.

1652: During the Commonwealth England breaks into the tea trade, although the drink is little consumed in England, until...

1660: Restoration. Charles II's queen, Catherine of Braganza, makes tea-drinking even more popular. Through her England gains Bombay, the start of its empire in India and an important staging-post on the route to China.

c. 1730: The craze for all things Chinese results in the rich having bone china cups - which causes a problem. Pouring hot tea from the pot straight into the cups makes them crack. So the milk is now put in first, creating the correct 'English Method' of tea-making.

1770: Having badly mishandled the American colonies after the Seven Years War (1756-63), Great Britain abolished all taxes except that on tea. The ailing East India Company, which depends on the drink, is granted a monopoly of exporting the colonies.

1773: Boston Tea-Party - not as many still think righteous American citizens throwing off the yokes of their taxation without representation oppressors, but more American smugglers trying to prevent the import of tea from ruining their 'business'.

c. 1780: The main meal of the day becomes ever later, so the British develop the idea of a mid-afternoon meal. This is called either Low Tea (in the lower hours of the afternoon) or High Tea (guess!) to bridge the gap. Tea Gardens open in Great Britain with payment boxes marked TIPS - To Insure Prompt Service - hence the term tips.

c. 1850: The era of the tea-clippers, ever-larger sailing ships which race to bring the tea to Europe ever faster. It doesn't last long, as steamships take over within twenty years. The Americans gradually supplant the British as chief traders in tea.

c.1880: After much trial and error, the first tea-plants are grown in India.

1904: At the St. Louis World Trade Fair, the United States displays the first ever tea-bags. It's downhill from here, folks!

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