Tea and its origins

Tea is the most popular drink in the world and it spread from China to other countries. Although there is no clear origin of tea , there are thousands of legends that place it in that country and where different types of tea were already grown and consumed.

From Decoration Alcazaba we want to give you a guide to what tea is and what its history is, including the most consumed tea infusions among lovers of this fantastic drink. In our store you can find a wide stock of tea varieties .

What is tea?

Tea comes from a shrub or plant called Camellia Sinensis or Chinese Camellia . From this plant we obtain the leaves that are dried to be able to make the infusion in hot water.

The largest tea producers are China and India, which account for more than 60% of global tea production and distribution . As for its consumers, the most demanding countries for this fabulous drink are Turkey, Ireland, Great Britain, Russia and Morocco.

Origin and history of tea

For more than 5,000 years, tea has been the drink par excellence in many countries. There are three legends about the origin of tea :

• In Chinese legend , tea arose under Emperor Shen Nung , who while seeking the shelter of a tree to rest and boil water, some leaves from that tree fell into the water. Thanks to drinking that infusion he felt more comforted and after that, he had seeds of that tea tree planted in the year 2,737 BC
• In the Japanese legend about the origin of tea , we have Prince Bodhi Dharma as the protagonist. Depressed by fatigue after three years of pilgrimage, he had a dream in which all the women he had been with appeared. Not feeling proud of it, he promised himself never to sleep again, but, overcome with sleep, he picked some leaves from a tree and chewed them. These gave them energy to keep their eyes open.
• The Indian legend about tea says that the Japanese prince of the previous legend was in India. After his long pilgrimage he was tired and sick, however, following the instructions of some local wise men, he collected the leaves of a tea tree and prepared an infusion. This remedy managed to heal him and comfort him to continue with his journey.

All these legends speak of fortuitous events, however the story of the expansion of tea arises from China. At the beginning of 589 BC, tea plantations began to conquer southern China as a medicinal plant.

Afterwards, its trade began until it reached Japan in the year 800 AD. The tea leaves arrived in Europe brought by the Portuguese or Dutch, it is not clear, but what is known for sure is the success it achieved in the 17th century among the nobility. . The Dutch East India Company took over the entire monopoly on China and Japan exports.

In Spain , tea infusions arrived as a fashion imported from France and England, however, it did not have as much roots, since in the 18th century the consumption of drinks such as chocolate and coffee was more common in our country.

Types of tea

All types of tea are obtained from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis , the difference is made by harvest times and the drying time of the leaves. The most common teas are:

Red tea

Red tea is also very precious and its production uses the fermentation of the tea leaves and then drying, in this last step heat and humidity are applied to achieve greater fermentation. It has a reddish color and its flavor is intense.

Green Tea

Green tea is one of the most popular on the market. Its leaves are not fermented, however, they are processed using steam. This is how its oxidation is achieved and is what gives it different shades of green, although dark tones predominate. Its flavor is similar to spinach or asparagus.

black tea

In black tea, the tea leaves are picked early, and then the withering begins, which progressively oxidizes the leaves until they finally dry out. Its color is quite dark and it has a strong and deep flavor.

We hope you have been able to learn a little more about tea and its origins . It is a drink that has great benefits for the body and is high in theine to give us energy.