The tea is more than just a beverage. Tea is rich in culture and history. The legend of the Indian monk who discovered tea is one of the best-known.
Bodhidharma & the Origin of Tea
century,Bodhidharma, a Buddhist monk from the fifth or sixth century lived in India. He traveled to China from India in order to spread Zen Buddhism.
year,Legend has it that Bodhidharma promised to sit in meditation for nine straight years, facing a wall, without stopping. He aimed to achieve enlightenment. After the fifth year he was exhausted and fell asleep. He was frustrated by his failure and tore his eyelids off.
It is believed that a plant grew where his eyelids were. The leaves of this plant, when steeped in water, kept him awake and focused. These leaves were also used by his followers during lengthy meditation sessions. It is believed that this plant was the original tea tree.
-centuryIt spread to East Asia. Daruma’s tea-leaf eyes are known in Japan. European travellers, such as 17th century naturalist Engelbert Kämpfer, have also written about this myth.
Myth vs. Reality
century,The story, while inspiring, is more symbolic than historical. India did not drink or grow tea before the early 19th century when British colonists began mass-producing tea in Assam.
Tea in Chinese History
agriculture andChina’s famous tea myth is a Chinese legend. Shennong is said to have discovered tea. He was the father of herbal medicine and agriculture, and a legendary emperor.
“Cha,”Shennong is said to have tested hundreds of plants in ancient texts that date back around 2737 BCE. He collapsed after accidentally eating a poisonous herb. He found an aromatic plant nearby, chewed its leaves, and recovered. The plant was named “Cha”, which is tea.
The Science of It
Recent research has shown that the tea originated in southwest China, more specifically Yunnan Province.
2,000 years.Yunnan is home to the largest variety of tea plant species, according to studies. This region is the origin of all other teas, including Assam. Tea found in Emperor Jing’s tomb shows that tea consumption has lasted over 2,000-years.
Assam tea: India’s Tea Legacy
sinensis var.Assam, in the northeast of India, became an important tea-growing area. British explorer Robert Bruce observed the Singpho tribe making tea with wild leaves in 1823. Botanists named it Camellia Sinensis vari. assamica.
The British founded the Assam Company in 1839. It was India’s very first tea company. Robert Fortune, a Scottish botanist who lived in China at the time, brought back tea seeds and Chinese methods. In the late 1800s Assam was the top producer of black tea in the world and became the basis for English Breakfast Tea.
Myth Meets Reality
discipline,India and China both have interesting tea tales. Bodhidharma’s tale focuses more on meditation and discipline while Shennong’s story is about herbal knowledge. However, scientific research confirms the tea’s origins in Yunnan (China) and its spread into India.
The story of tea is a reflection of culture and history around the globe. From myth to science and meditation to global commerce, it reflects the human fascination with the past and the present.
