There are many legends surrounding the discovery of tea. One story has it that a Buddhist monk endeavoring to stay awake cut of his eyelids and threw them away. The eyelids took root and grew into a tea bush. Very poetic, but probably not historically accurate.
Although it can't be proven, Chinese emporer Shennong is most commonly credited with the discovery of tea, in about 2737 BCE. According to this story, one day when water was being boiled for the emporer, dry leaves fell off a camellia sinensis plant into the pot. Shennong was a curious man, with a great interest in the medicinal uses of plants, and decided to taste the brew.
Evidently, Shennong found something he liked in the brew, although originally it was thought of as a medicine rather than a refreshment. The use of tea for medicinal purposes continued for centuries, and tea was believed to treat a wide number of conditions, including poisoning.
By the Tang Dynasty, the idea of drinking tea for pleasure had been embraced. Author Lu Yu wrote about the widespread practice of tea drinking in Cha Jing, written about 76 CE.
Who Brought tea to the West?
Many historians give credit to Marco Polo for introducing tea to the western world. Given his explorations, it's a logical assumption. He brought back pasta and gunpowder, why not tea? It's worth noting, however, that there is no mention of tea in his writings. If he brought tea back with him, apparently he thought very little of the beverage.
It is known, however, than Giovannita Ramusio mentions "chai" in Delle Navigatione et Viaggi Vol. 6 in 1559. And by 1579, travellers returning from China had brought tea to Russia.
Tea in the Modern World
Tea has gone beyond being a simple refreshment, and has become a part of the culture in many parts of the world. In fact, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world after water. The British enjoy high tea or afternoon tea and the art of tea preparation in some Asian countries has led to the development of sometimes elaborate ceremonies
Today, world tea production is something over 3 million tons annually. The only continents that don't lay claim to tea production are Australia and Antartica, although the largest producers are consistently India and China. According to NationMaster.com, in 2002 the largest per capita tea consumption by far was in the United Kingdom, where they consumed 2.3kg annually per person.
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