The Birth of Tea

and its auspicious origins

Legend holds that Chinese emperor Shennong, an herbalist, ‘discovered’ tea in 2737 BC when a leaf of a tea bush wafted into the water that he was boiling in order to purify it for drinking. He liked what he tasted, finding the brew refreshing and flavorful, and thus cha was born.

Another story adds that upon his return home, when news of the incident made its way back to China, healers misunderstood what to do with the tea ‘stew’ and through out the liquid and instead, simply chewed the soaked leaves. Once the drinking of tea caught on, it didn’t take long for it to gain a reputation as a remedial agent. During the Western Zhou Dynasty tea found its way into religious ceremonies, and by the time of the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD) it had gained favor for its flavor in addition to its health benefits. A few hundred years later, the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) established tea as a staple of social occasions, and it was at this time that tea made its way to Japan.

Today, tea is an integral part of cultures and meals across the world. Its consumption is second only to water.

Even in its early days, tea was valued for more than just its taste and health benefits. The pre-Confucian philosopher and ruler Shennong (Shen Nung) is reputed to have had this to say about tea in the Pen Ts'ao Ching:

Tea is better than wine, for it leadeth not to intoxication, neither does it cause a man to say foolish things and repent thereof in his sober moments.

(He also said “It is better than water for it doth not carry diseases,” and stuff about "foul and rotten matter," but I like the first quote better.)

In the late 8th century, Chinese writer Lu Yu wrote an entire book on the subject of tea, entitled Ch’a Ching or ‘Tea Classic’—and a classic it remains!

Whatever one may say of it, the fact is that tea is here to stay. So why not grab a cuppa and settle in to enjoy this issue of our magazine, one that is steeped in tradition and devotion?