Have you ever noticed? People “grab” a drink at the end of the day, or “run out” for a cup of coffee but always “meet” for a cup of tea. Tea, the most consumed beverage in the world (other than water) has always been surrounded by a mystical aura. My fascination with tea is decades old and resulted in my writing and publishing the book, Tea, The Drink that Changed the World in 2007. I am thrilled to announce that I have just updated this book and it has been reissued by Tuttle Publishing with the new title, A History of Tea, the Life and Times of the World’s Favorite Beverage.
Tea has a long and interesting history. All true tea, white, green, oolong, and black come from the same species of shrub – Camellia sinensis. All the other “teas” are more accurately called tisanes and include popular herbals such as mint or chamomile, roobois (pronounced roy-boss) and Yerba Mate.
Archeologists believe that the first tea was consumed during the early Paleolithic Period in China about 500,000 years ago. For thousands of years the Chinese were the only ones in the world who knew of and grew the magical Camellia sinensis. With the development of trade routes such as the Silk Road, tea became an essential trade item. It was pressed and baked into bricks and used as currency. 
Japan’s obsession with tea began in the sixth century when Buddhist monks brought it back from China, but it wasn’t until the fifteenth century that Japan began to develop the Japanese Tea Ceremony. The importance of tea in Japan cannot be overstated. As the Japanese tea master, Kakuzo Okakura stated, “Tea with us, became more than an idealization of the form of drinking; it is a religion of the art of life.”
The history of tea has its dark side as well. Once Europeans, and particularly the English, developed a taste for tea early in the seventeenth century, the demand for tea could not be stopped. The result? Wars, opium addiction, forced labor …..well, you’ll just have to read it yourself.
The love of tea continues today throughout the world. Who drinks it? China is first in consumption, followed by India and then Turkey. Though the United States’ love of tea is increasing annually (Thank you Teavana!) our relative consumption is miniscule but for tea lovers, there’s really nothing else that compares.
I love to meet a friend for a cup of tea, to slow down, and give my full attention to the moment at hand. I’m not sure if it’s the tea itself or the history and aura of this “most popular” beverage, but sharing a cup of tea remains one of life’s greatest pleasures. I hope you’ll join me!
Laura
If you would like to buy a signed copy of my book, just email me and I’ll send you one. It makes a great gift for the tea lovers in your life.