The tea plant, a native of Southeast Asia, and a member of the Camellia family (Camellia Sinensis) is believed to have been discovered by a Chinese Emperor, Shen Nung.Shen Nung believed in boiling his drinking water to ward of diseases. One day, his servants were requested to boil some water for him on his tour of the provinces. They used the branches of a camellia bush from which a few leaves escaped into the boiling water.

Captivated by the aroma of the boiling water, the emperor drank the brew and proclaimed it as a therapeutic drink. The emperor's discovery spread quickly throughout China and soon everyone was trying this refreshing beverage they called "Ch'a".

ORIGIN OF TEA

The Chinese and Japanese cultures adopted tea as an integral part of their lives since the 4th century A.D. What was once a social experience became one of religious significance. Eventually, tea spread to other neighboring countries, such as Russia, via the caravan routes.

EUROPEAN INFLUENCE ON THE HISTORY OF TEA

As the centuries passed and the trade with the West opened up, tea was introduced to continental Europe by the Dutch in early 1700 A.D. Tea, due to its expensive price, was originally consumed by aristocracy and eventually as price declined due to faster trading routes, it was enjoyed by virtually every class in the Dutch society. The French also quickly adopted tea into their daily lives. In fact, a French, Marquise de la Sabliere was supposedly first to begin the custom of taking tea with milk.

Tea gained wide spread acceptance by the English populace, since its introduction in 1657, when King Charles II, ascended the throne. He had known of tea since from his days growing up in the Dutch capital and was known to drink tea all day long, taking comfort in its delicate taste and fragrant aroma. During his reign, the East India Company, which had a monopoly for all trade in China, and India would artificially maintain a premium for tea. This strategy would lead to future unrest in the American Colonies.

In other parts of Europe, such as the Highlands of Scotland, Tassiology, also known as teacup reading was being introduced whereby one would read their future from a cup of tea.

AMERICAN INFLUENCE ON THE HISTORY OF TEA

Tea had also gained widespread popularity in the American Colonies. However, when King George III decided to raise the import tax on tea sent to them, Americans rebelled in what is now called the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Dressed as Indians, they dumped a shipment of tea from a British ship into the Boston Harbor. This would be the beginning of their move towards independence.

In the early twentieth century, Americans created two tea transformations - iced tea and tea bags. In 1904, at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis, a young Englishman, Richard Blechynden, poured tea over ice cubes after failed attempts of selling hot tea on a scorching hot day. To his amazement his new creation was an instant hit and now accounts for 80% of the tea drunk in the US.

In 1908, Thomas Sullivan a tea merchant decided to provide tea samples to his customers in small silk pouches. Soon, his customers were asking for this convenient form of making tea and thus, the tea bag was born.

SRI LANKA INFLUENCE ON THE HISTORY OF TEA

Until the 1860's THE MAIN CROP PRODUCED on the island of Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, was Tea. But in 1869, the coffee-rust fungus, Hemileia vastatrix, killed the majority of of the coffee plants and estate owners had to diversify into other crops in order to avoid total ruin. The owners of Loolecondera Estate had been interested in tea since the late 1850's and in 1866, James Taylor, a recently arrived Scot, was selected to be in charge of the first sowing of tea seeds in 1867, on 19 acres of land.

Taylor had acquired some basic knowledge of tea cultivation in North India and made some initial experiments in manufacture, using his bungalow verandah as the factory and rolling the leaf by hand on tables. Firing of the oxidized leaf was carried out on clay stoves over charcoal fires with the leaf on wire trays.
His first teas were sold locally and were declared delicious. By 1872, Taylor had a fully equipped factory, and, in 1873, his first quality teas were sold for a very good price at the London auction. Through his dedication and determination, Taylor was largely responsible for the early success of the tea crop in Ceylon.

Between 1873 and 1880, production rose from just 23 pounds to 81.3 tons, and by 1890, to 22,899.8 tons.
Most of the Ceylon tea gardens are situated at elevations between 3,000 and 8,000 feet in two areas of the southwestern part of the island, to the east of Colombo and in the Galle district on the southern point.
In the hot, steamy plains and foothills, the tea bushes flush every seven or eight days and are picked all year round. The finest teas are gathered from late June to the end of August in eastern districts and from the beginning of February to mid-March in the western parts.

Until 1971, more than 80 percent of the island's tea estates were owned and managed by British companies. In 1971, the Sri Lankan government introduced a Land Reform Act which gave the state control of the majority of the plantations (which also grow rubber and coconuts for export) leaving about one-third in private hands.

Since 1990, a restructuring program has been going on to involve the private sector companies (both Sri Lankan and foreign) as Managing Agents of the state-owned plantations.
The long-term aim is for the private managing companies to take on most, if not all, of the financial responsibility and control of the estates, with the government retaining ownership .