The ancient Chinese Emporer Shen Nung is credited with discovering tea as a recreational beverage. around 2737 BC . Known as the “ father of Chinese Medicine”, he tested hundreds of herbs in the pursuit of natural remedies and was sometimes exposed to poisons in the process. He found that tea in some instances acted as a natural antidote. He also observed its mild stimulative qualities along with its refreshing nature .
The tradition of drinking tea as a social occupation has existed in countless cultures for centuries. From the ritual of drinking mint tea in Morocco for cooling oneself, to the drinking of Masala Chai ( spice tea ) in India and the elaborate tea ceromonies in Japan.
It wasn’t until the 16th century that this elixr was introduced into Europe, and was originally only affordable to the wealthy.
The ritual of “ afternoon tea “ only became a widespread pastime after one of Queen Victoria’s ladies in waiting, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, promoted the habit of having tea and cakes in the late afternoon. The Victorians called a tea service a tête-à-tête. This consisted of a teapot, sugar bowl, and a cream pitcher. What started as a leisure ritual for the wealthy quickly caught on as an essential afternoon pastime with the working class, especially because supper time was around 9pm.
Being a life long tea drinker I’ve always enjoyed the appearance of a teapot, possibly because of the promise of a fine brew. Sadly the teabag now dominates habits, but the noble ritual is not forgotten. My tea of choice is of the Japanese varieties. Genmai … a green tea combined with roasted brown rice – this is an excellent tea if you have to maintain long mental application. My other favourite is Kukicha … a roasted twig tea - yang tea rich in calcium and a grounded energy boost. An occasional Earl Gray also doesn’t go astray.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
Traditional Raku ware was favored for this refined ritual. Due to the fragile nature of some of the Raku ceramics they were only used once. All ingredients used were as organic or natural as possible. The water was preferably heated on a charcoal fire, as this had the purest Yang energy, as opposed to a gas fire or in these times electric or microwave which have the lowest quality Yang energy.
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