English 11
Prof. Hargraves
18 December 2001
Tea has been around for many years, and has become intrinsic in many cultures throughout its time span. It is very commonplace to find tea in just about any cupboard in any kitchen today. Tea has played an important role in society. Many cultures have important customs that go along with tea. In fact, some cultures may not have been the same as we know them today without tea. Tea has left an imprint on the world, one that will never be erased despite popularity of other beverages. Tea is, and has been for centuries the most important drink in the world.
Tea comes from the plant camellia sinensis. There are categories which specific types of tea fall under. Herbal teas do not actually contain any tea and are merely herbal infusions made of various herbs and plants brewed in hot water. Many factors determine which category a tea will fit into. The location on the plant from where the leaf is plucked or the region it is grown in can both set apart types of tea. Though most importantly, the manufacturing process that occurs after picking has the largest affect on what category the tea shall fall under. Black, green, oolong and even white tea are the categories, which most teas fall under. All of these come from the same plant;
therefore the determination of type comes from the degree of fermentation, which occurs upon manufacture. Black tea is the most fermented, whereas green tea is at the opposite end of the spectrum, with no fermentation. Oolong tea falls in the middle with white tea betwixt oolong and green tea. Being somewhat fermented, but not quite enough to consider it oolong, white tea gains itself a unique category though lesser in importance. Black tea is by far the most popular of these categories in the west, whereas in the eastern Asian countries, perhaps green tea or oolong would be first choice.
Tea is grown in tropical or sub-tropical climates. Originally, tea was produced solely by the Chinese. The Chinese guarded tea and the seeds never left the country until after the opium wars. Tea growing spread from China into large-scale production in India. From India it has spread to places such as Africa and Ceylon.
According to legend, an emperor who had been traveling and stopped for a rest discovered tea. A dried leaf from a tea tree had fallen into the emperor’s water, which was boiled for hygienic reasons. The emperor drank the infusion and thus began the inception of tea into the history and culture of China.
The first actual recorded imbibing of the liquid is in the 4th century AD in China. Shortly afterwards, tea spread
to Japan where it became an important part of their culture. Tea is associated with the Zen Buddhists in Japan. The
Japanese tea ceremony became a complex art form. This art was a strict ritual, in which all parts were performed perfectly. To perform the tea ceremony perfectly was customary and would be an insult otherwise.
Europe did not begin drinking tea until the early 16th century. Portugal began the tea trade, soon after Holland joined the trade followed by England. England was the last to begin enjoying tea, but tea became very popular in England and replaced ale as the national drink. They started behind in the trade. It was evident when the English took control of New Amsterdam. And indeed, on acquiring the colony, the English found that the small settlement consumed more tea at that time then all of England put together (“The History of Tea”)
Tea trade became a large political instrument in the quest for large sums of income or for control. Wars were fought over tea. The opium wars in China were the result of Britain selling opium in China in order to buy tea from them. In the American colonies, tea was heavily taxed, and it became the fulcrum for the American Revolution.
Russia began trading with the Chinese in the early 1600s. Caravans brought tea from China to Russia. This trek took nearly 16 months. The trans-Siberian railroad sped this process along. Tea became the national beverage
alongside vodka. Tea was considered a symbol of friendship. The Russians brewed their tea in a Samovar. The Samovar was
an ornate, complex teapot. It steeped the tea above boiling water and the resulting brew was very strong. Boiling water was then poured from below to dilute the brew to personal taste.
Arabs are also heavy tea drinkers. To refuse the constantly refilled tea glass at an Arab home would be an insult to the hospitality of the host (“Tea Culture”) Arabs drink tea in glasses. The region dictates the shape and style of the glass used. The average Egyptian drinks approximately 12 glasses of tea a day. Tea in Arabic countries is essentially cooked in water, resulting in a very thick beverage. Generous amounts of sugar are then added to this concoction.
Tea is not only good to the palate, but is also believed to be good for you. The caffeine in tea gets readily bonded to some of the oxidized polyphenols and as a consequence, these bonded large molecules remain unabsorbed in the digestive tract (“A Brief Discussion”) The caffeine is present for the taste, but is not absorbed into the system. Caffeine presents a minor detriment to health in low quantities, but can add up with subsequent daily consumptions. Since the caffeine is not absorbed, it does not present any detriments. Tea also contains anti-oxidants, which can help in preventing cancer.
Fonger 5
There is eight times the amount of 'anti-oxidant power' in three cups of tea than there is in one apple (“Tea Health”)
If tea is consumed rather heavily, it may be possible to acquire 5-10% of the RDA of certain vital nutrients.
Tea is completely immersed into society that if it had never come about, the world would be an entirely different place. A place I am not too sure I would like to live in. Without tea, would there have been a Boston coffee party? It is hard to believe that tea could possibly be the second most consumed beverage aside from water. The average world consumption is 100 milliliters of tea a day. That does not seem like a lot, but not everyone drinks tea. In some areas of the globe, that number may be far higher than 0.1 liters. It is enjoyed hot or cold, sweet or unsweetened, with milk or without. There are so many variations, adopted by different cultures, of the proper cup of tea. There is no other beverage with quite a rich history as tea has had. It is just a simple leaf brewed in hot water, but yet it is so widely enjoyed by so many a diverse people. What makes this drink so special? After all, coffee does contain more caffeine than tea. Coffee may be more popular in certain areas, but it is only due to its narcotic like effects that large amounts of caffeine has on the body. Coffee has not left the same impression on the world such as tea has done. Tea is unmistakably the world champion of beverages, and shall remain there for a long time to come.