Tea History

The story of tea begins in China, and reaches back to the year 2737 BC. Legend has it that the mythical Emperor Shen Nong, father of Chinese agriculture and herbal medicine, was sitting under a wild tea tree while water was being boiled. A few leaves fell into the pot, the water turned golden, and the brew turned out to be wonderfully refreshing. According to tradition, this was the moment tea was discovered. ## China — the cradle of tea For the first millennia, tea was used in China exclusively as a medicinal remedy. Systematic cultivation began around 5,000 years ago. In the 3rd century AD, the leaves were first steamed in order to preserve them. During the Tang Dynasty (618–907), tea became the people's drink. It was in this period that the scholar Lu Yu wrote the Cha Jing, the «Classic of Tea», the world's first book entirely devoted to tea. Under the Song Dynasty (960–1279), the leaves were ground into a fine powder and whisked with hot water into a frothy drink, a tradition later exported to Japan, where it survives to this day as [Matcha](/product/ceremonial-matcha-2025). With the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the emperor banned compressed tea cakes and ushered in the era of loose-leaf tea. This decision was to shape the world of tea forever, and indirectly led to the emergence of [oolong](/knowledge/oolong-tea), [black tea](/knowledge/black-tea) and other categories. In the 17th century, Chinese tea makers began to adapt their processing for foreign markets and started producing oolong and black tea on a larger scale. [Yellow](/knowledge/yellow-tea) and [white teas](/knowledge/white-tea) were also refined during this period. ## Japan — tea as a path Tea arrived in Japan in the first decade of the 9th century, brought by Buddhist monks returning with tea seeds from periods of study in Chinese monasteries. The tea drunk at the time was the same as in China: compressed green tea, ground into small pieces and mixed with hot water. At first, tea served as an aid to meditation in the monasteries. In 1191 AD, the monk Eisai (also called Yōsai) introduced a new style from China: powdered tea, ground from dried green leaves and whisked into hot water with a bamboo whisk. When Japan began making its own teas in the 13th century, producers adopted the Chinese method of steaming the fresh leaves. In the 15th century, the Chinese introduced pan-firing, and the Japanese copied that too. In the same century, tea-drinking was elevated into a way of life: Chadō, the Way of Tea, emerged from the meeting of tea practice with the philosophy and spirit of Zen Buddhism, and was later perfected by Sen no Rikyū. Tea became a symbol of mindfulness, hospitality and aesthetic simplicity. In 1738, a new steaming method was introduced that still defines the Japanese standard today, only a few producers in the south still pan their teas. Japan's most important tea regions are Shizuoka, Kyoto, Kyushu, Mie, Aichi, Gifu, Nara, Shiga and Saitama. The consistent choice of steaming is what gives Japanese [green teas](/knowledge/green-tea) their characteristically green liquor and rich umami to this day. You can taste this tradition in our [Premium Sencha](/product/premium-sencha) and our [Premium Kabuse from Uji Kyoto](/product/premium-kabuse-uji-kyoto). ## Taiwan — the beautiful island of oolong In 1542, Portuguese traders sailed past the island and named it Ilha Formosa, «beautiful island». To this day, Taiwanese teas are often called Formosa teas. In 1645, the Dutch recorded that wild tea trees were already growing on the island. The actual tea culture, however, was only introduced around 1796 by migrants from Fujian who brought seedlings from the Wuyi Mountains and planted them in the hills around Taipei. From the 1860s onwards, the great age of Taiwanese tea began: in 1865, the British merchant John Dodd discovered its potential and brought Taiwanese oolong to New York, where it became immensely popular. In 1895, the Japanese took control of the island and systematically expanded tea production, they even planted Camellia assamica in the Sun Moon Lake region to produce black tea. That tradition lives on in our [Hong Yun Ruby 18](/product/hong-yun-ruby-18) and [Sun Moon Lake Black](/product/sun-moon-lake-taiwan-native-cultivar) to this day. Since the 1980s, the Taiwanese tea industry has experienced a renaissance. The high-mountain regions above 1,000 metres, Ali Shan, Li Shan, Dong Ding, produce some of the most sought-after oolongs in the world today, such as our [Wild Garden High Mountain](/product/competition-shanlin-xi-wild-garden-high-mountain). ## The journey to Europe In 1610, tea reached Europe for the first time, brought by Dutch traders. In 1657, it was sold for the first time in London, initially as a luxury item for the nobility and bourgeoisie. As the British sought to become independent of Chinese imports, the tea gardens of Assam and Darjeeling were developed from the 1830s, followed by Ceylon (today Sri Lanka) from the 1870s and the highlands of East Africa, particularly from the 1950s. Today, tea is grown in over 50 countries, from the slopes of the Himalayas to Kenya, from Argentina to the Azores. And yet, for VestaTea, the original triad of China, Japan and Taiwan remains the source of the most nuanced, tradition-rich teas in the world.