The History of Tea

The history of tea spans nearly five thousand years.  Legend has it that an early Chinese emperor discovered tea after some leaves accidentally blew into a pot of boiling water.  During the 1600's American and European colonies began to popularize tea.  Tea consist of three types: black, green and oolong tea.  Black tea has been fully oxidized and is a full flavored tea most popular in the United States today.  Green tea is not involved on the oxidizing process which gives it a light delicate taste.  Oolong tea is a grade between Black and Green tea, and is popular in China.  These teas contain leaves, however there are popular herbal teas created from flowers, roots, seeds, berries, peels and barks of various plants.  These herbal teas are foundations to help balance the body, and tools to regain that balance if it is lost due to illness. 

Please click the areas of the map to learn more regional tea history: