Let's 茶 茶 茶


~Know・Drink・Think about Tea~
三

History of Tea

The Beginning of Tea History

The beginnings of tea date back to about 5,000 years ago.
*5000 years ago in Japan is called the Jomon period.
It is first mentioned in a book written around 760,(Tang Dynasty: China).
→The world's first book on tea, Chakyo by Rikuu Kozen describes the tea of that time.
Its Tea Sutra states that the custom of tea ceremony (drinking tea) began about 5,000 years ago with the legend of Shennong.
But, in fact, it was treated and passed down from the Chinese minorities to the Han Chinese as a medicine duning that time.

Tea Stra was written how to make tea. The drink was then taken as follows.
  • Scald the mochi tea over a fire and allow it to cool. (Tea Preparation)
  • Crush or powder it, then add it to salted water and stir while boiling.
  • Boil the powder and put it into a bowl (now called a cup) and drink it.

Japanese Tea


Japanese Tea Culture and Cultural Expansion


Tea was introduced to Japan during the Nara and early Heian periods.
Until tea was introduced in Japan,matcha was the most common type of tea.
Tea was brought back to Japan from China by "Kukai" and (Buddhist monk who studied in Japan), and rose in popular.
But it wasn't until the Kamakura period (1185-1333) that tea took root in earnes. Eisai, a foreign student monk, began tea traditions in Japan,.It spread after tea tree seeds back from China during the Southern Song Dynasty.
It them spread outward from the Kinki region to the Chubu and Kanto regions via Buddhism.
This is where the tea ceremony begins.

The Birth of English Tea

English Tea and the British Obsession

Tea became popular in England after its introduction.
However, since it could not be cultivated, tea and porcelain were imported from China.
Then, in 1823, when the British conquered Burma (now Myanmar), which controlled the Assam region of northern India, they discovered a tea tree. This tea would later be called the Assamese variety
Since then, England has been trying to produce and grow its own tea.。
England, which had focused on tea production and cultivation, discovered the tea tree (Assamese variety) in 1838 and began its production and cultivation in the Assam and Darjeeling regions in 1852.
(English-style tea is said to have a strong flavor that is as good as milk and sugar!)
England was the birthplace of English-style tea, using the steam engines of the time in a rational way (tea production). Also, at that time, England was one of the countries in Europe that was very particular about its tea.

Summary

Here is a summary of what has been done so far.