How Tea Came to the West
Posted by Joseph Edwards on January 30th, 2010 filed in Tea
The history of tea may possibly date back to 2737 B.C. The commonly held story in China states that the emperor Sheng-nung discovered green tea accidentally while boiling water near a tea plant. Some of the leaves fell into the water and the emperor liked the taste!
It is said that the Chinese emperor Sheng-nong discovered in 2737 B.C. that the leaves of the Camellia sinesis plant could be used for making tea. The emperor was boiling water one day next to this plant, when a few of the leaves fell into the water. Much to his surprise he found it tasted good!
Even though Britain, by far, is the most famous tea drinking country in the west, the Dutch are actually attributed with being the first nation to export tea to the west. The Dutch East India Company sent the first shipment of tea to Europe in 1606. It was a big hit, so by 1610 the Dutch were shipping tea back home on a regular basis.
The name Orange Pekoe, a type of black tea most commonly used in North America, is considered to have originated from these first Dutch exports of tea. Orange-Nassau is the name of a Dutch Royal house and the word \'Orange\' was given to the exported tea to give it a \'regal standing\'. \'Pekoe\' is a Chinese word that basically translates as \'white fine hair\' and refers to the appearance of the youngest freshest tea buds.
Back then Orange Pekoe was used to describe medium quality teas. The best teas were considered to come from the largest sized leaves made with only the best quality leaves. Today, however, Orange Pekoe is mostly a generic term in North America for all black tea.
It is possible that both these stories are independently true, they both evolved in close but still different geographical regions. However the very first record of tea consumption dates back to around 60 B.C. The Chinese poet Wang Pao (who served the Chinese emperor at that time) wrote about green tea in a slave\'s contract called \'Tan Yuch\'.
700 years later, a comprehensive book was written in China called \'The Classic of Tea\' by Lu Yu. By this time, and just like in Japan, brewing green tea in China had evolved into a fine art. In China, tea became known as \'cha\', eventually distorting to the more well known \'chai\' as tea use moved west.
These catechins are not just powerful antioxidants, but can also aid weight loss. Many studies show that catechins can somehow speed up our metabolism. One Japanese study suggests that in high doses, green tea can burn as much as an extra 70-80 calories per day!
Hi my name is Joseph Edwards. I have a passion for healthy eating and green living. Green tea is one of the healthiest drinks around, it can protect us from cancer and heart disease. For more information visit - Green Tea Weight loss .
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