- The first written evidence of tea dates back to 200 B.C. in China, but later spread to Korea and Japan sometime during the 9th century.
- All varieties of tea come from different parts of the same plant: Camellia sinensis.
- Tea was brought to japan from china during the 9th century by way of a traveling Buddhist monk.
- Japan integrated the act of preparing tea with philosophy, creating the famous Japanese tea ceremony.
- During the Sui Dynasty (581-617 AD) tea started to be drank more for its taste than for its medicinal benefits.
- It was during this time that China began to use tea as a currency, bartering tea bricks with Mongolia for items such as herbal medicine, horses, wool, etc.
- During the Tang Dynasty (618-907) tea drinking becomes more of an art form.
- During the Song Dynasty (690-1279) Tea went from being made in bowls to pots .
- Before the harvest began sacrifices were made to mountain deities.
- After a specific day was chosen to harvest the leaves the tea pickers picked leaves to the rhythm of the drum or cymbal.
- The tea pickers at this time were usually young girls who had to keep their finger nails a certain length to pick the leaves without touching their skin.
- The leaves were then sorted by grade with the highest grades being sent to the emperor as
- tribute.
The Tea Industry created all three forms of industries:
Primary:
Secondary:
Tertiary:
The Diffusion of Tea
Thank you for your Attention
Tea: Human Geography
Forward Linkages
Demand Linkages
How Tea Spread
- Started in China
- Most Prominent during Ming Dynasty
- Portugal began to Trade it by boat; colonial power declined
- Dutch became the most prominent traders and spread tea to the world
Tea: The Origins
Tea: The Origins...Continued