Copyright, 1996 The
Tea House
Web Site created by Raven
HyperMedia Publications, Inc.
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| World-wide,
Tea is consumed more than any other liquid except water.
People of all ages have historically enjoyed the infusion
from the Camellia Sinensis tree as a beverage as
well as for its medicinal properties. Modern research has
shown that tea does indeed have many health affecting
qualities; and numerous publications extolling the
benefits of tea have contributed to the tremendous growth
in its consumption in the U. S. |
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| Historically,
tea's origins date back to around 2700 BC. It is thought
to have first been discovered in the mountainous areas of
China's far western Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. It was
originally taken as a detoxifying medicine though it grew
to great social prominence during the Tang (620-907 AD)
and Sung (960-1279 AD) Dynasties. In addition to tea's
attributed health benefits, the high level of "tea
culture" was appealing to people outside of China as
well. Since the fifth century AD, tea has been exported
by land and sea throughout Asia and reached Europe in
1610. It was Dutch traders that first brought tea to
Europe but the British who greatly developed it,
transplanting it to India in the early 1800's. |
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| There
are three basic categories of tea which differ according
to the manner in which they are produced. Green, Oolong
and Black teas each have their respective subcategories
such as white, yellow, light or heavily fermented, or
compressed. The diverse environmental conditions in which
the plants are grown, the age and number of leaves used,
and the final appearance of the leaves also contribute to
creating the enormous variety of products on the market.
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Copyright, 1996 The
Tea House |