The origins of tea
Before blossoming in our cups, tea crossed many borders, many eras, and sometimes even crises. Here's a look back at the green gold's journey.
The origins of tea are shrouded in a thousand and one legends.
But let us tell you Pascal Hamour®'s favourite version.
Let's go back to China, some 2000 years ago. The reigning emperor rests in the shade, under a tree.
A sudden urge to quench his thirst overcomes him. He is in the habit of boiling the water before drinking it to remove any impurities.
So one of his servants lights a fire to heat the water. A gentle breeze rises.
She takes with her a few leaves from the tree under which the emperor is sitting. The leaves twirl around and end their journey in the pot of water on the fire. The emperor tastes it.
Tea was born.
The tree was in fact a wild tea plant. It is estimated that this shrub originated 60 million years before our era, in the area between Yunnan, Burma and northern Vietnam.
Since then, tea has spread around the world.
While China discovered this beverage over 2000 years ago, Japan waited until the 7th century to discover it. It was brought there by Chinese traders.
It wasn't until the 17th century that tea arrived in Europe with the East India Company. It first reached Holland. Then it was the turn of France and England to enjoy the delicate beverage.
Tea is extolled for its therapeutic virtues. They even tried to replace wine with it! It became the green gold of the English and even more so: the national drink.
This unbridled success story led to the purchase of plantations at excessive prices. Land unsuitable for tea growing was also purchased. Around 1865, there was a real crisis. There was a shortage of labour. Poor quality tea was exported. It didn't sell well. Tea companies were no longer profitable.
At the end of the 1860s, efforts were made to reverse the balance. In India, for example, the quality of tea was improved and the price increased. Production was so high that the British ended up trading exclusively with the Indians, abandoning the Chinese market favoured by the Americans and Australians.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), tea is a growing success. Both production and demand are set to increase over the next ten years. Whether it's for its therapeutic properties, its comforting qualities or simply for its gourmet taste, it's a real treat!
A report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) predicts an overall increase in tea production worldwide between now and 2028. Production is expected to meet a growing demand over the next ten years.