A Cup of Tea

For nearly 5,000 years, tea has played a role in Eastern and Western civilizations. It has been a source of medicine, meditation, piracy, political strife, social order, congregation, and superstition. Tea is derived from a plant native to Southern and Eastern Asia. Indigenous to India and China, the temperamental plant is affected by variations in soil, elevation, and climate. Teas are separated into three basic types: black, green, and oolong. The process used to prepare the leaves determines the classification of tea. Oxidation determines the color, body, and flavor.

In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I founded the East India Company to procure exotic riches from the East. The first tea arrived in England in 1668. Because meager shipments were subject to high tariffs, enterprising merchants and pirates imported contraband tea. Supply increased, and by the mid-18th century, tea became England's national drink.

Tea drinking spread to the colonies. Commercial tea cultivation was attempted in Southern colonies, but the climate proved too unstable. Although tea was available in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, the English controlled the trade. As England increased tariffs on tea, colonists protested, leading to the Boston Tea Party, a catalyst to the fight for American independence.

Following the Revolutionary War, America staked its claim in the Chinese tea trade. By the turn of the 20th century, tea had become a source of social congregation. Fine hotels housed tearooms where guests could gather in the late afternoon. Today, tea remains a symbol of healthy living, serenity, and friendship.









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