Green teas, oolong teas, black teas, white teas, herbal teas; the list goes on. I am not an aficionado but I certainly am a fan. I do enjoy learning more about tea as I continue experimenting with different teas.
I began to wonder whether it was possible to trace the origin of tea. I assumed that I would find various stories and I was right. Most often I came across the story of Chinese Emperor Shen Nong (I have also seen it spelled Shennong). Shen Nong reportedly discovered tea in 2737 BC. Legend has it that one day the emperor was boiling water when dry leaves fell off a camellia sinnsis plant into the pot. He tasted the vew and discovered something he liked. At the time tea was considered medicinal rather than a leisure beverage. It was believed that tea was the cure for many types of health conditions. Tea was finally embraced as a pleasure drink at the Tang Dynasty.
Historical records often praise Marco Polo for introducing tea to the West.
King Shen Nong was known as the father of agriculture and medicine. He was concerned the health of others and therefore recommended tea to his people, saying, “Tea gives vigor to the body, contentment to the mind, and determination of purpose.”
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