Humanity has been drinking tea for a very long time - the first information about this drink appeared several millennia ago. Where is the birthplace of tea? Which nation gave the world thousands of recipes for its preparation?
It is known for certain that tea was first drunk in ancient China. This fact is reflected in the chronicle legends, and also has real confirmation.
Ancient legends
Tea is a legendary drink in the truest sense of the word. The legend of the ancient Chinese says that it was discovered by Emperor Shen Nong, who was also called the Divine Farmer.
According to the chronicle, he lived in the third millennium BC and once went to the mountain peaks. The emperor felt a strong thirst and sat down to rest next to a small tree, from the leaves of which a pleasant aroma emanated. A strong wind came, leaves began to fall off the branches of the tree, and one of them fell into the emperor's bowl, filled with clear water from the spring. Shen Nong tasted this infusion and was delighted with its unusually pleasant taste and amazing aroma. Just a few sips of the drink allowed the emperor to regain his strength.
Ancient Chinese chroniclers also wrote that Shen Nong studied various medicinal herbs, testing their effect on himself. And one day he found out that the infusion of tea leaves can be used as an antidote.
According to Chinese historians, Emperor Shen Nong is a collective image of primitive people who lived in the Neolithic era. This version suggests that tea was known 5-6 thousand years ago.
Historical background
Real sources indicate that more than 3 millennia ago, the Chinese grew tea to give it to the supreme rulers. This was done by people who lived in the principalities of Ba and Shu (now the province of Sichuan is located on this territory).
In China, written evidence of the existence of tea was first discovered. The oldest dictionary of Chinese characters "Erya", the main section of which was written in the 3rd century BC, contained a mention that the tea tree is a special type of plant.
Later, the culture of tea consumption in China reached the highest level. In the 8th century A. D. The Tea Bible was even created by Lu Yu. It is a comprehensive treatise that contains many methods of growing tea trees and making tea.
Spreading tea
From China, the triumphal procession of this drink began around the world. In the 16th century, Europeans learned about tea (initially it was used only as a medicine), in the 17th century it first appeared in Russia. Later, tea spread widely throughout America and other continents.
