The history of tea began before our era. In ancient times, from the leaves we learned how to prepare a noble drink with special energy. Tea bushes are relatively unpretentious and rather hardened plants that can 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. The birthplace of the plant is China, where it was grown already in the fifth millennium BC. Here it was first used 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 tea plants were also known in India, in the south of the Himalayas and in Tibet. Therefore, the question of the historical homeland of tea remains open to the present. However, it is undoubted that it was from the East Asian region that he began his path of penetration into European, Russian and American culture.
The history of tea in Europe began in the 16th century, when the Portuguese and Dutch opened the 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 consumed everywhere. Tea was imported to Great Britain by the East India Company and immediately became popular with the royal court and with 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 producing it. In the 18th century, tea flows through the Atlantic to New Amsterdam.
The history of tea in Russia dates back to 1638, when tea was handed over to the Russian ambassador Vasily Starkov in the form of gifts from the French for Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich . At first, tea was considered an exclusively medicinal drink. The contract for the first supply of tea to Russia from China was signed in 1769. The drink was delivered by land, even the rarest varieties that were exchanged for furs were imported. The most popular was black tea, as its price was significantly lower than green. 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 healing drink and was widely used in medicine. Gradually, tea drinking began to turn into a special event at meetings.
The traditions of the Chinese ceremony began to spread throughout the world. The history of tea has acquired a new sound: the drink has ceased to be considered a medicine, turning into a refined pleasure.
Tea plant seeds were introduced into Japan by a Buddhist monk. The emperor himself contributed to the spread of tea in this country, so there the drink quickly became popular in different areas of life. Tea drinking has become a real art form; it has been taught for years. For “tea houses” a new form of architecture was even developed.