Tea o' clock

Our history of tea begins with the legend of the “divine farmer” Shen Nong. During a long day spent roaming the forest in search of edible grains and herbs, it is said that he accidentally poisoned himself 72 times. But before the poison could end his life, a leaf drifted into his mouth. He chewed on it and it revived him, and that is how the tea was discovered, as the ancient legend goes.

In 9th century during Tong’s dynasty, a Japanese monk brought the first tea plant to Japan. The Japanese eventually developed their own unique rituals around tea, leading to the creation of the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

In 14th century during Ming dynasty, the Chinese Emperor  shifted the standard from tea pressed into cakes to loose leaf tea. At this point China still had virtual monopoly on the world’s tea trees, making tea one of the three essential Chinese export goods along with Porcelain and Silk. This gave China a great deal of power and economic influence.