The History of Tea (Encore)

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The History of Tea (Encore)" – Everything Everywhere Daily

Release Date: December 2, 2024

Host: Gary Arndt
Executive Producer: Charles Daniel
Associate Producers: Benji Long and Cameron Kiefer

---

1. Introduction to the History of Tea

In this encore episode of Everything Everywhere Daily, Gary Arndt delves deep into the rich and intricate history of tea, tracing its origins, cultural significance, and its evolution into the global phenomenon it is today. Skipping past the initial advertisements, Gary immediately immerses listeners into the ancient beginnings of tea consumption.

---

2. Origins of Tea in China

Ancient Beginnings:
Gary begins by exploring the enigmatic origins of tea, highlighting that while the exact moment of its discovery remains unknown, the earliest indications point to Yunnan Province in southwestern China around 3,000 to 3,500 years ago.

“The origins of tea are shrouded in history, we don't know who first discovered that the tea leaf could be used to make a beverage.” (02:36)

Legend of Emperor Shen Nong:
Gary recounts the legendary tale of Emperor Shen Nong, a mythological ruler who is said to have discovered tea by accident when a tea leaf fell into his boiling water decree.

“Emperor Shen Nong was about to drink a cup of boiled water… a leaf from a bush landed in the water… the emperor tasted the water and found that it not only tastes good, but was invigorating.” (02:36–02:56)

Archaeological Evidence:
The oldest archaeological evidence of tea consumption dates back to 141 BC in the tomb of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, where biomolecular markers of tea were discovered.

“Unambiguous references in Chinese texts indicate tea drinking in the year 59 BC but other texts make allusions to tea drinking going back much earlier.” (03:30)

Botanical Insights:
Gary clarifies that true tea comes exclusively from the Camellia sinensis plant, a shrub native to regions bordering northern Myanmar and southwestern China. He explains the plant’s growth preferences, emphasizing its affinity for higher elevations with ample sunlight, warm temperatures, and plenty of rainfall.

“Camellia sinensis would be considered a shrub or a bush and not a full blown tree… the plant can grow in a wide variety of areas where there is ample sunlight, warm temperatures and plenty of rainfall.” (04:10)

---

3. Spread of Tea Culture in East Asia

Tang Dynasty Popularization:
Tea drinking was predominantly a southern Chinese practice until the Tang Dynasty (8th century), when it became widespread across all social strata. Gary references Lu Yu’s Shah Jing (Tea Classic), the earliest known comprehensive work on tea, detailing its preparation, cultivation, and cultural practices.

“The Tang Dynasty writer Lu Yu wrote the book Sha Jing, which translates into the Tea Classic, which is the earliest known work about the subject of tea.” (05:00)

Tea Production Techniques:
During the Tang Dynasty, tea was commonly produced as tea bricks, compressed blocks that served both as a convenient form for currency and ease of transportation.

“Tea bricks were a common form of currency throughout China at this time, and they were easier to transport than loose tea leaves were.” (05:45)

Song Dynasty Innovations:
The Song Dynasty saw a shift towards powdered tea, which involved roasting and crushing tea leaves into a fine powder, marking a significant change in tea preparation methods.

“During the Song dynasty, tea consumption changed as powder tea became popularized.” (06:15)

---

4. Tea’s Expansion to Japan and Korea

Introduction to Japan:
Tea was introduced to Japan in the 7th century by Buddhist monks, initially consumed solely by religious practitioners before gaining popularity among the upper class.

“Tea was believed to have been brought to Japan in the 7th century by Buddhist monks, and the earliest evidence of tea in Korea was in the 7th century as well.” (07:00)

Japanese Tea Ceremonies:
By the 15th century, elaborate tea ceremonies – heavily influenced by Sen no Rikyu – became an integral part of Japanese diplomacy and political life, fostering unity and cultural refinement.

“The founder of the Japanese tea ceremony is considered to be Sen no Rikyu, and the tea ceremony served a central role in diplomacy and political life.” (08:20)

---

5. Tea’s Introduction to Europe and Its Rise in England

Early European Encounters:
Despite mentions by Marco Polo in the 13th century, tea remained largely confined to East Asia until the 16th century when European traders, particularly the Portuguese, began importing it.

“Marco Polo mentioned tea in his writings in the 13th century, the first European to mention tea.” (09:10)

Tea’s Popularity in England:
England's embracement of tea is attributed to Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II, in 1662. Initially a luxury for royalty, tea rapidly gained popularity among the British populace.

“The popularity of tea in England is credited to the wife of King Charles II, Catherine of Braganza from Portugal in 1662.” (10:05)

British East India Company’s Role:
The British East India Company played a pivotal role in importing tea from China, leading to a dramatic increase in tea consumption in Britain by the 18th century.

“By 1801, the amount of tea imported into Britain had reached 24 million pounds annually, a 12 million fold jump in imports over a period of 139 years.” (11:15)

---

6. Tea and Global Trade: Opium Wars and British Colonization

Trade Imbalance:
The Chinese monopoly on tea creation a significant trade deficit for Britain, as China showed little interest in Western goods, prompting Britain to reverse the trade imbalance.

“The Chinese monopoly on tea and the lack of desire by the Chinese for the importation of many Western products produced a huge trade deficit between Britain and China.” (12:00)

Opium and the First Opium War:
To address the deficit, Britain started exporting opium to China, culminating in the First Opium War in 1839, which eventually forced China to open its markets.

“Britain began importing opium to China which resulted in the First Opium War which began in 1839.” (12:45)

Cultivation Outside China:
Seeking to break China's monopoly, Britain initiated tea cultivation in Northern India, which eventually made India the world's largest tea producer. Additionally, tea cultivation spread to Sri Lanka and Kenya within British colonies.

“Britain began cultivating tea in Northern India... The biggest tea producing regions outside of India were in Sri Lanka and Kenya.” (13:30)

---

7. Cultivation and Production Outside China

Global Expansion of Tea Production:
Tea cultivation was strategically established in British colonies where the climate was conducive, ensuring a steady supply independent of Chinese markets.

“The British also brought tea production to other colonies they held around the world which were suitable for growing it.” (14:10)

India’s Tea Industry:
Though India became a major producer, tea consumption among Indians remained low until post-independence efforts to promote domestic demand transformed tea into a staple beverage across the nation.

“Despite being one of the largest tea producers in the world, tea in India wasn't commonly consumed by Indians until after India became independent.” (15:00)

Tea in Muslim Countries:
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, tea gained immense popularity in the Muslim world, often surpassing coffee as the preferred non-alcoholic beverage. Today, half of the top ten countries for per capita tea consumption are predominantly Muslim nations, with Turkey leading the pack.

“Today, half of the top 10 countries in the world in terms of per capita tea consumption are predominantly Muslim countries. The biggest tea consuming country is Turkey.” (16:20)

---

8. Tea in the Americas

United States:
Post-American Revolution, tea consumption in the United States declined sharply due to its association with British colonialism and the infamous Boston Tea Party.

“In the Americas, tea consumption in the United States decreased dramatically after the revolution.” (17:00)

Canada and Brazil:
Conversely, Canada maintained high tea consumption levels due to its British heritage until the Second World War, when coffee began to dominate. Brazil, influenced by its Portuguese ties, emerged as the largest tea producer and consumer in South America.

“Brazil, due to its ties with Portugal, became the biggest tea consumer in South America and was its largest tea producer as well.” (17:45)

---

9. Modern Tea Industry

Current Production and Economic Impact:
Today, over 6 million metric tons of tea are produced annually, with China and India leading the production charts, followed by Kenya, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. The global tea industry has burgeoned into a $100 billion enterprise.

“The global tea industry is now estimated to be close to $100 billion annually.” (18:30)

Diversification of Tea Consumption:
Tea's versatility has expanded beyond the traditional hot beverage, with iced tea and sweetened tea-based drinks becoming popular alternatives to soft drinks.

“Iced tea and other sweetened tea based drinks have become popular as soft drink alternatives.” (19:10)

---

10. Varieties of Tea and Their Production

True Teas vs. Herbal Teas:
Gary distinguishes between true teas and what are commonly mislabeled as teas. He emphasizes that herbal teas, such as chamomile, are not derived from the Camellia sinensis plant and thus aren't true teas.

“Anything called herbal tea really isn't a tea. It doesn't use tea leaves from a tea plant.” (20:05)

Processing and Oxidation:
The diversity of tea varieties stems from different processing methods and levels of oxidation:

• Green Tea: Minimally oxidized, preserving the green color.
• Yellow Tea: Leaves are allowed to yellow before consumption.
• White Tea: Wilted but mostly unoxidized.
• Oolong Tea: Partially oxidized.
• Black Tea: Fully oxidized, often crushed into powder.
• Dark Tea: Fermented through various processes.

“Green tea is made from minimally oxidized tea leaves… Oolong tea is where the leaves are wilted and partially oxidized.” (20:45)

Regional Influences:
Different regions impart unique flavors to tea due to varying environmental factors and cultivation practices, resulting in a vast array of tea types all originating from a single plant species.

“Each region where tea is grown will result in different flavors due to the inputs that went into its creation.” (21:30)

---

11. Conclusion

Gary wraps up the episode by reflecting on tea's monumental journey from a serendipitous discovery in ancient China to its status as the world's largest manufactured beverage. He marvels at how a simple leaf led to profound cultural, economic, and social transformations across civilizations.

“All of this began thousands of years ago because some person probably had a leaf accidentally fall into their pot of water.” (22:00)

Community and Support:
He acknowledges the support from the show's patrons on Patreon and invites listeners to join the Everything Everywhere Daily Facebook group or Discord server for further engagement.

“Your support helps me put out a show every single day… you can join the Everything Everywhere Daily Facebook group or Discord server.” (22:30)

---

Key Insights:

• Cultural Significance: Tea has played a pivotal role in diplomacy, social rituals, and daily life across various cultures.
• Economic Impact: From ancient currency to a $100 billion industry, tea's economic influence is immense.
• Global Spread: The spread of tea is intertwined with historical events like colonialism, trade wars, and cultural exchanges.
• Diversity Through Processing: The myriad of tea types is a testament to human ingenuity in cultivating and processing a single plant species into countless variants.

Notable Quotes:

• “Emperor Shen Nong was about to drink a cup of boiled water… a leaf from a bush landed in the water… the emperor tasted the water and found that it not only tastes good, but was invigorating.” – Gary Arndt (02:36–02:56)

• “The global tea industry is now estimated to be close to $100 billion annually.” – Gary Arndt (18:30)

• “All of this began thousands of years ago because some person probably had a leaf accidentally fall into their pot of water.” – Gary Arndt (22:00)

---

Conclusion:

Gary Arndt's comprehensive exploration of tea's history not only educates listeners about its origins and global spread but also highlights the profound impact this humble beverage has had on human civilization. From ancient legends to modern industry, tea remains a symbol of cultural exchange, economic prowess, and timeless tradition.

Transcript

[Gary Arndt]

The following is an encore presentation of Everything Everywhere daily. Sometime over 3,000 years ago, somewhere in southwestern China, a leaf from the Camellia senesis plant may have accidentally found its way into a pot of boiling water. Noticing that the leaf had turned the water a different color, some person unknown to history drank the concoction and found that it was good. This was the start of something which is today a globe spanning, multi billion dollar industry that millions of people indulge in every day. Learn more about tea, its origins and how it's spread around the world on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by Butcherbox. If you're a regular listener to this podcast, you are probably well aware that I am a big fan of Butcherbox. I've been using Butcherbox products for quite a while now to make everything from meatloaf to meat cupcakes to the legendary meat donut and my world famous Scotch eggs. The Scotch eggs are the size of a softball and make an entire meal. However, when all is said and done, the things I love the most are steaks. Steaks not only taste great, but are relatively easy to prepare. Regardless. If you're cooking out on the grill, in the oven, in an air fryer, or even in a frying pan, you can make great steaks. And the best steaks you're going to find are from ButcherBox. 100% of their steaks are grass fed, grass finished. And if you love steaks, then you are in luck because Butcherbox has a special offer for you. Sign [e-mail] daily and get a special deal. New users that sign up for Butcherbox will receive their choice of two 10 ounce ribeyes, two 6 ounce filet mignon or two 10 ounce New York strips free in every box for a year and use code daily at checkout to get an additional $20 off your first box. Nah, not quite.

[Carvana Representative]

What's up? Sell my car in Carvana.

[Gary Arndt]

It's just not quite the right time.

[Carvana Representative]

Crazy coincidence. I just sold my car to Carvana.

[Gary Arndt]

What? I told you about it two days ago.

[Carvana Representative]

When you know, you know, you know. I'm even dropping it off at one of those sweet car vending machines and getting paid today.

[Gary Arndt]

That's a good deal.

[Carvana Representative]

Oh great deal. Come on, what's your heart saying? You're right. When you know, you know.

[Gary Arndt]

Sold.

[Carvana Representative]

Whether you're looking to sell your car right now or just whenever feels right, go to Carvana.com and sell your car the convenient way. Terms and conditions apply.

[Gary Arndt]

The origins of tea are shrouded in history, we don't know who first discovered that the tea leaf could be used to make a beverage. The current best guess is that tea probably originated in what is today the Yunnan Province of China, sometime around 3,000 to 3,500 years ago. One of the problems in dating the origins of tea in China has to do with the fact that the Chinese word for tea, cha, only began being used in the 8th century. There is an ancient Chinese legend regarding the discovery of tea. The mythological emperor Shen Nong was about to drink a cup of boiled water because he had made a decree that everyone in the kingdom had to boil water before drinking it. While his servants were preparing the water, a leaf from a bush landed in the water, which caused it to change color. The emperor tasted the water and found that it not only tastes good, but was invigorating. The oldest archaeological evidence we have of tea consumption comes from the tomb of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, who died in the year 141 BC. The tomb found in Xi'an, China, found biomolecular markers of tea in ancient plant compounds found in the tomb. Unambiguous references in Chinese texts indicate tea drinking in the year 59 BC but other texts make allusions to tea drinking going back much earlier. The earliest consumption of tea was probably as a medicine rather than as a beverage. Before I go too much further, I should probably explain exactly what tea is. Tea is a beverage made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. This is the only plant that can make a true tea. Tea plants are found natively in the region along the border of what is today northern Myanmar and southwestern China. Camellia senensis would be considered a shrub or a bush and not a full blown tree, although sometimes it is called a tea tree, and if left unchecked, they can sometimes get rather large. The plant can grow in a wide variety of areas where there is ample sunlight, warm temperatures and plenty of rainfall. Tea plants usually do the best at higher elevations. Tea drinking, for the most part, was only a practice in southern China until about the 8th century. Outside of Chinese emperors and other high ranking officials, it was during the Tang dynasty, around the 8th century that the practice of tea drinking became widespread throughout China. The Tang Dynasty writer Lu Yu wrote the book Sha Jing, which translates into the Tea Classic, which is the earliest known work about the subject of tea. Written around the year 760, Lu Yu documents tea culture, including preparing, making and growing tea. During the Tang Dynasty. Tea was usually made from tea bricks, which were tea leaves that were compressed into blocks or Bricks, binding agents such as flour or blood were often added so they would retain their shape. Tea bricks were a common form of currency throughout China at this time, and they were easier to transport than loose tea leaves were. During the Song dynasty, tea consumption changed as powder tea became popularized. Instead of steaming tea leaves, which had been the method of preparation, they were now often roasted and then crushed into a powder. Just as tea spread throughout China, it was also taken to nearby countries. Tea was believed to have been brought to Japan in the 7th century by Buddhist monks, and the earliest evidence of tea in Korea was in the 7th century as well. However, it may have existed there much earlier. Tea drinking in Japan was originally something only consumed by Buddhist monks, but it eventually spread to the upper class in society. By the end of the 12th century, tea seeds were brought to Japan and tea cultivation began. In the 14th century, tea competitions began where contestants would try to distinguish teas grown in different regions. Similar to wine tastings today. And in the 15th century, elaborate tea ceremonies were imported from China. And given a unique Japanese interpretation, the founder of the Japanese tea ceremony is considered to be Sen no Rikyu, and the tea ceremony served a central role in diplomacy and political life. After Rikyu died, his children carried on the practice, and the three major Japanese schools of tea ceremonies today can all be traced back to his children. Tea was known outside of East Asia, but it wasn't widely consumed beyond the region. There's a reference to tea by 9th century Arab traders who ventured to China and tasted it. Also, by the 9th century, tea had reached Persia and Central Asia via the Silk Road, mostly via the exportation of tea bricks. Marco Polo mentioned tea in his writings in the 13th century, the first European to mention tea. Despite the exportation of limited amounts of tea bricks, for all practical purposes, tea consumption was limited to East Asia. The thing that radically changed the tea industry was its discovery by European traders in the 16th century. The Portuguese established a trading post on the island of Macao in 1557, and tea became popular as it was brought over by many of the Chinese workers on the island. In the early 17th century, the Dutch East India Company began importing small amounts of tea to the Netherlands. Tea became trendy amongst European royalty as the new thing, and it also found a place in coffee houses throughout Europe. However, tea never really became the dominant drink in most European countries. Coffee always tended to be more popular, save for some brief periods where tea became trendy. There were tea rooms that did spring up and tea wasn't unheard of, but it wasn't dominant. Russia did mostly embrace tea over coffee, but it was after Tsar Michael I first rejected tea in 1618 because he didn't like it. There was, however, one country in Europe that fully embraced tea. England. The popularity of tea in England is credited to the wife of King Charles II, Catherine of Braganza from Portugal in 1662. Although there is a record of tea being served at a coffeehouse in London five years earlier, tea imports to England began rather small with only two pounds of tea being recorded as imported in 1664. And those were just a gift for the King. However, the popularity of tea in England exploded. The British East India Company began importing tea from China, which at the time held a monopoly on tea production. Demand for tea in Britain exploded through the 18th century. By 1801, the amount of tea imported into Britain had reached 24 million pounds annually, a 12 million fold jump in imports over a period of 139 years. Tea played a role in the American Revolution when the British taxed American tea imports. The Chinese monopoly on tea and the lack of desire by the Chinese for the importation of many Western products produced a huge trade deficit between Britain and China. To rectify this, Britain began importing opium to China which resulted in the First Opium War which began in 1839. Eventually, in the mid19th century, Britain sought to break the Chinese monopoly on tea and began cultivating tea in Northern India. This eventually led India on a path that made it the largest producer of tea in the world. The British also brought tea production to other colonies they held around the world which were suitable for growing it. The biggest tea producing regions outside of India were in Sri Lanka and Kenya. In the Americas, tea consumption in the United States decreased dramatically after the revolution. But tea was dominant in Canada due to their British ties until after the Second World War when coffee finally overcame it. Brazil, due to its ties with Portugal, became the biggest tea consumer in South America and was its largest tea producer as well. Despite being one of the largest tea producers in the world, tea in India wasn't commonly consumed by Indians until after India became independent. Tea producers wanted to stimulate domestic demand and so began promoting tea consumption internally. Tea also became very popular across the Muslim world throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, competing with coffee as a non alcoholic beverage. Today, half of the top 10 countries in the world in terms of per capita tea consumption are predominantly Muslim countries. The biggest tea consuming country is Turkey. China only ranks 21st today. There are over 6 million metric tons of tea which are produced every year. The largest producing countries by a wide margin are China and India, followed by Kenya, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The global tea industry is now estimated to be close to $100 billion annually. Tea has also gone well beyond its consumption as a hot beverage with steeped leaves. Iced tea and other sweetened tea based drinks have become popular as soft drink alternatives. Before I end, I should address a question that many of you might have earlier. I said there is only one species of plant, Camellia senensis, that is a tea plant. Well, technically there are two varietals of the same species, but for all practical purposes, there's one tea plant. You might be thinking that when you go to the store, you can find a wide variety of teas. There are entire shops that sell nothing but different types of teas. How can this all come from one plant? That is an excellent question. For starters, anything called herbal tea really isn't a tea. It doesn't use tea leaves from a tea plant. It might be called a tea, but it really isn't a true tea. It is simply prepared in a way similar to a tea. It would be like roasting beans from a non coffee plant and calling it coffee. Likewise, chamomile tea doesn't come from a tea plant, but rather comes from the chamomile flower. It tastes really good, but it technically isn't a tea. I had some fantastic chamomile tea when I stayed in a Benouin camp in Wadi Raman, Jordan, and it was actually one of the highlights of my trip. Beyond that, in the world of true teas, there's green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea, and yellow tea. All of these different teas are due to how tea leaves are processed and how long tea leaves are allowed to oxidize. Tea leaf oxidation is nothing more than the natural process of reacting with oxygen, no different than what happens if you leave fruit out. Green tea is made from minimally oxidized tea leaves, which preserves the natural green color of the leaf. Yellow tea is where the tea leaf is allowed to yellow before being consumed. White tea is where the tea leaf has wilted but is still mostly unoxidized. Oolong tea is where the leaves are wilted and partially oxidized. And black tea is where the leaves are fully wilted and fully oxidized. These leaves are often so brittle that they're just crushed into a powder. Beyond black tea, there is something known as dark tea, where the leaves are allowed to ferment. The oxidation process can be stopped through the application of heat, which can be done via roasting, sun, drying, baking, and even microwaving. Beyond the different methods of processing tea leaves, each region where tea is grown will result in different flavors due to the inputs that went into its creation. The end result is a wide variety of teaspoons, all made from what is basically a single plant. Today, tea is the largest manufactured beverage in the world, and its production equals that of all other beverages combined, including coffee, soft drinks and alcohol. And all of this began thousands of years ago because some person probably had a leaf accidentally fall into their pot of water. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Benji Long and Cameron Kiefer. I want to give a big shout out to everyone who supports the show over on Patreon, including the show's producers. Your support helps me put out a show every single day and also Patreon is currently the only place where Everything Everywhere Daily merchandise is available to the top tier of supporters. If you'd like to talk to other listeners of the show and members of the Completionist Club, you can join the Everything Everywhere Daily Facebook group or Discord server. Links to Everything are in the show Notes.