Do you know your tea history?

When one thinks of tea, we think of it as a classic British drink, and although we have been drinking it for over 300 years, the history of tea goes back much further. The story of tea begins in 2737 BC, in the Far East country of China. According to legend, the Chinese emperor, Shen Nung, accidentally discovered tea while sitting underneath a Camellia Sinensis tree. Legend or not, we know that tea became an established drink in China, long before the West had even heard of it.

How did tea reach Britain?
In the early 17th century, the Dutch began to import tea from China, and it soon became a trendy drink in continental Europe; although it remained a drink for the wealthy due to its high price. It is hard to establish exactly when tea first reached the UK, although it is thought that it reached us in the mid 17th century, but was still somewhat of a curiosity. It really began to take off when Catherine of Broganza, a tea loving Portugeese princess, married Charles II and established tea as a fashionable drink among the wealthy classes.
Desperate times call for desperate measures!
Tea became increasingly popular in the 18th century, but due to government taxation, it was still unaffordable for the working classes. This resulted in the smuggling of tea in to Britain, bringing with it, some unwanted ingredients such as sheeps dung and poisonous copper carbonate. By this point, tea had arrived in the US, quickly increasing in popularity there too. When Britain decided to place taxes on the tea supply to the US, settlers were angered. One of the most famous retaliations was the ‘Boston Tea Party’, where a group of settlers boarded the ships carrying the tea from Britain and threw crates of tea in to the sea. By 1784, the government realised that the heavy taxation was creating more problems than it was worth. The Prime Minister at the time, William Putt the Younger, slashed tax from 119% to 12.5% making tea affordable for all.
Your Country Needs Tea!
The importance of tea in British culture was officially recognised during the First World War, due to its morale boosting qualities. The government took over its importation to ensure it remained available to everyone at a reasonable price. It was thought so importantly of in World War II, that it was rationed for 12 years, only allowing 2 ounces per head per week. And there it has remained, an important part of British culture, with 165 million cups being enjoyed by us daily.