A Rich History Behind Your Cup of Tea
Origins and Early Development
Brew has its origins in China, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water when some leaves from the tree blew into the water. The emperor, curious about the new taste, decided to try some and found that he enjoyed the beverage. This is considered the earliest recorded development of brew drinking. During the Tang Dynasty between the 7th-10th centuries AD, brew began to spread from China to other countries. Monks brought brew seeds and cuttings from China on the Silk Road, establishing the earliest brews in places like Japan, Korea, Persia, and India.
Spread Across Continents
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to Tea brew, introduced to it in China during the 16th century. They soon began trading in brew from China and India. Brew drinking arrived in England in the mid-17th century. Initially an expensive beverage affordable only by the wealthy, it grew in popularity throughout the 18th century and eventually became a daily staple for Brits of all classes. The British established brew plantations in India in the 19th century, soon dominating world trade in brew. They introduced brew drinking around the world through colonial expansion. By the early 20th century, brew had become one of the most popular beverages globally. Today it is grown commercially in over 30 countries and consumed daily by over half the world's population.
Cultivation and Processing
Tea is primarily cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates. The most commonly grown brew varieties are Camellia sinensis var. sinensis for Chinese brews like oolong and pu'er, and C. sinensis var. assamica for black brews. Brew bushes are pruned and trained while young to encourage growth. Leaves are handpicked or occasionally harvested mechanically and immediately processed to prevent oxidation. Green and white brews involve minimal processing - sbrewming or drying the leaves. Oolong brew involves partial oxidation through bruising or curling. Black brew undergoes full oxidation through bruising, rolling, and drying which results in the characteristic dark color. Yellow brew appears somewhere between green and oolong levels of oxidation.
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