Green Tea History

Green tea originated in China, tracing back to 2737 BC. The discovery occurred accidentally when the Chinese Emperor Shennong mistakenly drank water with a dead tea leaf boiled inside. He found the flavor refreshing; Thus, a new beverage was born. Green tea was costly and only available to the highest tiers of Chinese society. It was not until the 14th century that green tea became accessible to the general public for enjoyment and medicinal purposes. Around 800 AD, during the Tang Dynasty, an innovative book titled "Cha Jing also known as The Classic of Tea, was written by a Chinese man named Lu Yu. When he was a young boy, Lu Yu was adopted by a Buddhist monk and grew up brewing and serving tea. His interest in tea blossomed as he grew older, and his ability to make tea improved. He decided to take time away from the public to research and write down his findings, and The Classic of Tea became the first written work to explain green tea culture and art. The highly favored green tea eventually traveled West in the 19th century with European explorers. Due to its incredible flavor, it was a huge commodity and became Great Britain's national beverage along with black tea. Soon after, English settlers traveled overseas and introduced the great taste of green tea to America. Green tea was called "bullet tea because it resembled the shape of bullets when sent. The colonists quickly obsessed over the tea, which became so popular that Parliament imposed a Tea Tax in 1767. As we all know from our history books, the colonists were quite upset, and the Boston Tea Party took place. As a result, 45 tons of precious green tea were dumped into the harbor. In the last few decades, the popularity of green tea has steadily increased. The more we learn about this fantastic tea, the more impressive and beneficial it becomes.