a  t e a   s t o r y

Stories differ as to who first enjoyed the benefits of a cup of tea. The Chinese believe that in 2737 BC Emperor Shen Nung was boiling water as he rested under a tree, when some leaves fell from the tree into the water. The Emperor, a noted scholar and herbalist, tasted the brew and immediately experienced tea’s soothing and healing qualities.

Indian and Japanese legends, however, credit Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, for the discovery of tea. Around 519 AD, during the fifth year of a seven year contemplation of Buddha, he surprisingly began to feel a little weary. So he plucked off his eyelids, threw them to the ground and two tea trees sprang up with leaves that had the power to keep him awake and alert.

This legend may come from the fact that Buddhist priests helped the spread of tea throughout China and Japan. As Buddhism spread through the provinces priests grew tea in temple gardens and promoted the practice of drinking it as a herbal remedy.

By the time of the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD), what was once exclusively the drink of the Emperors court had become the popular drink for everyone. Crumbled bricks of tea were boiled with a little salt and enjoyed in tea houses that flourished across China. These bricks could also be easily transported and a taste for tea soon traveled to Tibet and along the Silk Road into Persia and Arabia.

It wasn’t until the 1600s that tea arrived in Europe. As the trade routes began to open up with the East, tea’s popularity boomed. In Europe, tea was enjoyed solely by the upper classes, however, in Britain it quickly replaced gin as the drink of choice for all levels of society.

While the British people enjoyed the new found health benefits of drinking tea instead of gin and ale, the government wasn’t too happy with the loss in taxes from liquor sales and a tax on tea was quickly imposed.

Of course, this love of tea quickly spread to the British colony of America. Less popular, however, were the taxes that came with it. In protest, British owned tea was tossed over the sides of ships in port. The famous Boston Tea Party of 1773 started a chain of events that would soon lead to revolution and turned patriotic Americans into a nation of coffee drinkers.

Today, tea is grown around the globe and has become the most popular drink in the world, beaten only by water. People now enjoy it in countless varieties, blends and styles, many of which we invite you to experience right here at LEAF TEA MERCHANTS.