a tale of tea Tea is a cup of life. est. 2737 bc
่ ถ chรก // te
Throughout history, princesses were married to tea. Buddhas reached enlightenment to tea, and warring nations and enemy emperors made peace to a cup of the same. Each drop represents, not only a journey of many physical miles, but the endeavour and tradition of generations of families and dynasties that, as legend has it, began as early as 2737 BC, entirely by accident.
If a man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty. - Japanese Proverb
tea
The ancient Emperor Shennong was a wise leader, known for his knowledge and passion for science, the arts, and herbalism. He advocated the boiling of water prior to drinking for the preservation of good health, thousands of years before western science recognised the benefits of the practise, and, when resting upon a long journey, had several of his men boil some water for consumption. As Shennong’s men were boiling the water, a leaf from a nearby camellia sinensis bush fell into the water infusing legend
of
it with colour and a pleasing aroma. The Emperor, curious about the mixture’s properties, and confident of its safety due to his experience as a herbalist, drank the fluid and revered it for its taste and invigorating qualities. Though this story may largely be attributed to myth, largely redolent of similar stories regarding the birth of many Chinese spiritual sects, cultures and martial arts, it underlies the drink’s primacy in China’s culture and traditions. the
The history of tea is long and complex, spreading across multiple cultures over the span of thousands of years. Tea likely originated in Yunnan, China during the Shang Dynasty (1500 BC–1046 BC) as a medicinal drink. The earliest credible record of tea drinking dates to the 3rd century AD, in a medical text written by Hua T’o. Nowadays, tea is the most popular beverage in the world, aside from water. It is loved for its simplicity and at the same time its richness in flavor. Also, the fact that there are so many different kinds and flavors makes it easy to find at least one you like.
tea
Tea was first introduced to Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the 16th century, at which time it was termed chรก. Catherine of Braganza, wife of King Charles II of England, took the tea habit to Great Britain around 1660, but tea was not widely consumed in Britain until the 18th century, and remained expensive until the latter part of that period. In Britain and Ireland, tea had become an everyday beverage for all levels of society by the late 19th century. The price in Europe fell steadily during the 19th century, especially after Indian tea began to arrive in large quantities.
indian
Tea was first brought to India by the British, trying to break the Chinese monopoly. The British brought the Chinese seeds to Northeast India but the plants failed; they later discovered that a different variety was more adapted to the climate in India. Using the Chinese planting and cultivation techniques, the British launched a tea industry by offering land in Assam to any European who agreed to cultivate tea for export.
Nowadays, India produces
popular tea types as darjeeling, assam and chai tea, which is a mixture of strong black tea mixed with sugar and cream.
Albert Einstein was the first to figure out why tea settles in the centre of your cup when swirled instead of at the edges where you’d expect from centripetal force. He solved this centuries old philosophers’ question in 1926. And now, his “tea-theory” is saving the lives of thousands through applied red blood cell and plasma centrifugation.
Camellia Sinensis The plant that started it all. White tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, pu-erh tea and black tea are all harvested from this species, but are processed differently to attain different levels of oxidation. It is, however, not used to make the ‘herbal teas’ like camomile, rooibos and mint. It’s centre of origin is most likely in southeast Asia, specifically around the intersection of latitude 29°N and longitude 98°E, the point of confluence of the lands of northeast India, north Burma, southwest China and Tibet.
“I am in no way interested in immortality, but only in the taste of tea.” - Lu T’ung
There are a lot of different types of tea. The difference between these lies in the process of drying the tea leaves in a certain way. This creates a wide array of different flavors and colors.
White tea White tea is the purest and least processed of all teas. The leaves are picked when they’re very young, so white tea has a much milder flavor and lighter color than any other variety.
green tea It is made using leaves that are quickly heated after picking by steaming or by dry cooking to minimize oxidation. Besides being a popular and tasty beverage, green tea has a unique set of natural chemicals that provide a host of health benefits.
oolong tea Produced through a unique process including withering under the strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas, especially those of fine quality, involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties.
black tea This is te most common type of tea in the west. It is the most oxidized tea, giving it a dark colour. It is generally stronger in flavor and can be very bitter if the leaves are steeped in the hot water too long.
With these basic teas
a lot of different flavors are created by adding dried fruit, herbs or flowers. Almost all teas in bags and most other teas sold in the West are now blends. Teas that do not contain any type of camellia sinensis leaves are called herbal teas, or tisanes. These include rooibos, which originated in Africa.
just my cup of tea
plant
Most tea leaves are produced and processed in Asia, specifically in China, India, Japan and Sri Lanka, as the teaplant grows mainly in tropical or subtropical climates. Some varieties can also tolerate marine climates and are cultivated as far north as England,and experimentally in Wales and in the United States. It takes about 4 to 12 years for a tea plant to bear seed and about three years before a new plant is ready for harvesting. Many high-quality tea plants are cultivated at elevations of up to 1,500 m above sea level. While at these heights the plants grow more slowly, they acquire a better flavour. tea
Although tea had been simply regarded as a daily pleasure, often drunk socially for over a thousand years, the story of Shennong imbibing the plant for his health seems incredibly prescient. Now, tea, in each and of all of its forms, has been proven in innumerable scientific studies to have profound and varied health benefits. Even the common, processed, black tea drunk in huge quantities across Europe and the United States has been shown to help protect the lungs from cancers and to lower blood pressure and help regulate cholesterol.
“You can never get a cu or a book long en C. S. Lewis to
up of tea large enough nough to suit me.� old a friend.
tea used:
Sencha Silver Flower Lady Earl Grey Russian Earl Grey Shake your Boo-tea Text, photography and design: Raven van Baak AKV|St Joost Breda, 2014 No tea was harmed during the making of this booklet
tea used:
Sencha Silver Flower Lady Earl Grey Russian Earl Grey Shake your Boo-tea Text, photography and design: Raven van Baak AKV|St Joost Breda, 2014 No tea was harmed during the making of this booklet
a tale of tea Tea is a cup of life. est. 2737 bc