Cha Thé Tea

Tea and its legends

It all began in 2737 BC in China. According to legend, whilst the emperor Shen Nung was boiling water to slake his thirst in the shade of a tree, a light breeze rustled the branches and caused a few leaves to fall. They mixed with the water and gave it a delicate colour and perfume. The emperor tasted it and found it to be delicious. The tree was a wild tea plant: tea was born.

In India, another legend tells of how Prince Dharma was touched by Divine grace and went out to preach the teachings of Buddha in China. To make himself worthy of such a mission, he vowed never to sleep during the nine years of his journey. Towards the end of the third year, however, he was overcome by drowsiness and was about to fall asleep when by chance he plucked a few leaves from a wild tea plant and began to chew them. The stimulating qualities of tea immediately had their effect; Dharma felt much more alert and thereafter attributed the strength he found to stay awake during the six remaining years of his apostolic mission to these leaves.

In Japan the story goes a little differently: after three years Bodhi Dharma, exhausted, ended up falling asleep while he prayed. On awaking, infuriated by his weakness and devastated by his sin, he cut off his eyelids and threw them to the ground. Some years later, on passing the same spot, he saw that they had given birth to a bush that he had never seen before. He tried the leaves and discovered that they had the property of keeping a person awake. He told the people around him about his discovery and tea began to be cultivated in all those places through which he travelled.

Legends aside, it seems that the bush was originally from China, probably from the region around the border between north Vietnam and Yunnan province, and that the drinking of this beverage was first developed by the Chinese.

Tradition and symbolism

During the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) the drinking of tea evolved into a more popular pastime, moving away from the realm of pharmacology and becoming a refined part of everyday life.

Teahouses came onto the scene and for the first time tea was a source of artistic inspiration: painters, potters and poets created a sophisticated universe around tea, laden with symbolism. One of them, Lu Yu (723-804 AD), drafted the first treatise on tea, Cha Jing or Traditions of Tea, a poetic work in which he describes the nature of the plant and standardises the methods of preparing and drinking the beverage. "One finds, he writes, in the serving of tea the same harmony and order that govern all things."

Tea then was made of compressed briquettes, which were first roasted before being ground to a powder and mixed with boiling water. Some ingredients were then added: salt, spices, rancid butter…. Tea is still taken this way in Tibet today.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) a second school was born that, insofar as the lyricism of its ceremonies and the importance attached to the rules of preparation were concerned, was a precursor to the Japanese Cha No Yu School. The teas used were increasingly refined and fine china began to play a decisive role in the world of tea. The leaves were ground, with a mortar and pestle, to a very fine powder on to which the simmering water was poured. The mixture was then whipped until frothy with a bamboo whisk. Alongside this ritual, reserved for the court, a more widespread consumption of tea was developed, including other social classes. The first unpackaged, loose teas made their appearance and it was therefore possible to meet the growing popular demand.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) an imperial decree prohibited the manufacture of compressed tea and tea began to be taken in its present form: a brew in a pot. This new way of enjoying tea influenced the artefacts and accessories that were used in its preparation: it marked the beginning of earthenware and china tea sets. The kettle replaced the tea bottles of the Tang era and the teapot became the ideal receptacle to infuse the tea. Tea was being democratized and it gradually gained a following in every social class, enjoying even greater economic success with the start of the export trade.

In Japan tea appeared in the 7th century AD. On repeated occasions Buddhist monks brought tea plant seeds from China and tried to establish a tea growing culture in their country. However, it wasn't until the 15th century that tea was grown all over the archipelago. Sen No Rikyu (1522-1591 AD) was the first grand teas master: with him tea became a religion, an art and a philosophy. These disciplines were expressed through a complex and highly codified ceremony in which the ideal was to demonstrate the grandeur contained in the smallest everyday acts. "Tea is no more than this, he writes, boil the water, prepare the tea and drink it properly."

Tradition and symbolism of tea

Europe discovers tea

From the 10th century onwards, tea was an export of primary importance for China: firstly to other Asian countries and then, starting in the 17th century, to Europe.

In 1606, the first tea chests arrived in Amsterdam in Holland: this was the first known cargo of tea to be registered at a western port. The East Indies Company, a Dutch firm, had close links at the time with the Far East and they maintained a monopoly over the sale of tea until the end of the 1660s, even after the creation, in 1615, of the East India Company, an English competitor. In 1657, Thomas Garraway, the landlord of a coffee house in London, introduced tea on his premises and placed an advert in the local paper which read: "This excellent beverage, recommended by all Chinese doctors, and which the Chinese call 'Tcha', other nations 'Tay' or 'Tee', is on sale at Sultaness Mead close to the Royal Exchange in London."

If the spread of tea at first met strong opposition - it was said to cause men to lose height and good humour, while women lost their beauty - it soon became the basis of a very important trade. At first the privilege of princes, it later became the favourite of all the dandies who frequented the "coffee houses", soon to be re-named "tea houses".

Cromwell imposed a heavy tax on tea just before his death, and it quickly became the subject of a thriving contraband trade. In the 18th century its price became more accessible and tea became a revered national drink.

In France the introduction of tea gave rise to numerous controversies, from 1650 onwards, in medical circles. It therefore became extremely popular. In one of her letters Madame de Sévigné mentions that Madame de la Sablière was the first person to add tea to her milk. Racine was a faithful tea supporter, as was Cardinal Mazarin who drank it to treat his gout.

The history of tea: Europe discovers tea

Tea conquers the world

English and Dutch settlers brought tea to the New World, where it was to play an important role in the history of the United States. The commodity was subject to a very high duty and, in 1773, the inhabitants of Boston decided to boycott its import. On the 16th December they threw the cargo of a vessel anchored in the harbour into the sea: it was this "Boston tea party" that provoked reprisals by the British authorities against the inhabitants of Massachusetts which, in turn, paved the way for the events that led to the War of Independence.

Tea was also the cause of more peaceful confrontations: like those of the " tea clippers ", light sailing ships used to transport tea. In the 19th century the huge demand intensified rivalry between ship-owners: great races took place along the main maritime routes of the East.

The Chinese were the sole producers at the time and imposed their rules: prohibitive prices, limited access to the port of Canton and a refusal to exchange tea for English textiles. To counter this commercial pressure the English decided to illegally introduce opium into China to create dependence - and therefore give them some bargaining power - on the part of their business partner. This was the start of the Opium Wars that would end with Britain annexing Hong Kong in 1842.

By the 19th century China could no longer cope with the ever-increasing western demand and in 1830 the English started to develop tea cultivation in other countries. Tea plantations were started in India in 1834 and in Ceylon in 1857. The Ceylonese plantations at first were purely experimental but, in 1869, after the total destruction of coffee plantations by a parasite, tea became the island's main source of income.

Tea was also planted in other Asian countries that have become important producers; also in ex-British colonies in Africa and, more recently, in Reunion Island and in Argentina.

Today, tea is the most drunk beverage in the world after water, we drink about 15,000 cups every second.

The history of tea: tea conquers the world

80年代後

• 1981-2005-近25年台茶演變

• 由於台幣升值，茶葉生產與製造勞工缺乏，工資上漲，台茶逐漸失去外銷競爭力，外銷量逐年遞減。

• 台灣經濟富裕，茶藝文化推展，國內飲茶人口增加，內銷市場崛起；且因為注重飲茶品質，高海拔茶區興起。

• 1989年罐裝飲料與泡沫紅茶店興起；以進口茶為主要原料。主要進口來源國為：越南、錫蘭、印尼等。

• 配合工業社會，時間第一的需求，袋泡茶 ( TEA BAG ) 市場需求逐年遞增。

• 健康取向，以茶葉為添加物的食品加工，漸受重視。

• 傳統茶藝館 興起，尤其以強調健康飲食如天仁茗茶喫茶趣等複合性餐飲店已引起廣大年輕族群認同，飲茶平均年齡層下降。

• 自1991年開始，根據海關統計數字，台茶進口量首度超越出口量300公噸，到了2005年台灣進口茶葉20,775公噸，出口2,173公噸，入超18,602公噸，台灣已為茶葉進口國。

80年代前

• 1945-1980年代台茶發展
• 1946-1948包種茶因東北和華北花茶市場需求，逐年遞增。

• 1949紅茶年出口六千八百噸，約佔當年出口茶量48%，以後年遞減。

• 1948上海商人唐季珊引進炒菁綠茶技術，市場以摩洛哥、利比亞、阿爾及利亞、 突尼西亞、阿富汗為主。

• 1963綠茶輸出627萬公斤佔當年出口46 %。

• 1965引進日本蒸菁綠茶（煎茶），1973達1200萬公斤，佔全年出口量51 %。1980年以前，台茶以外銷為主。

• 台灣茶業在經濟轉型期間仍然以紅、黃、綠各種茶類，分別外些世界各地。是世界上少數從未發酵綠茶、半發酵茶烏龍茶、和全發酵紅茶都能生產外銷的茶商，足跡遍及世界各地。

日據時期

• 1895-1945-日據50年台茶發展
• 1899年 起三井財閥的日東紅茶就在台北縣海山、桃園大溪，開拓茶園專製紅茶。

• 1903年 總督府在草湳波（桃園埔心）設試驗場，試製紅茶，1906 年生產， 1908年輸出土耳其、俄國。

• 1910年日本台灣紅茶株式會社成立，主製紅茶，輸出俄國。

• 1921年 南港大坑王水錦與弟子魏靜時發明清香包種茶(參考「台灣包種茶論集」--許賢瑤著，第62~63頁)。透過萎凋與發酵技術改進，包種茶從此邁入不必窨花也會產生自然花香的新紀元。1932年前包種茶是台灣對南洋首位輸出品(1928-1929 包種茶幾乎是台灣唯一對南洋輸出產品)。包種茶出口多寡，決定台灣對南洋貿易盛衰。

• 1926年 引進阿薩姆種於魚池，設紅茶試驗所。

• 1933年滿洲國成立，以薰花製造的包種茶即開闢中國東北市場。輸出量逐年遞增，1942年達五千一百公噸。

• 1937年 紅茶輸出五千八百公噸，戰前最高量。主要市場：日本、美國、英國、香港、東北。

• 1944包種茶輸出七千八百公噸歷年最高。

• 1918年烏龍茶年銷八千八百公噸，為最高量。

• 日本據台五十年，台灣外銷茶市場由烏龍茶、包種茶、紅茶三茶各領風騷，茶葉為主要出口產物，其出口值平均佔全台30%。

滿清末期

• 清末台灣茶種引進 --人工栽植開始
• 1717年諸羅縣誌記載，在水沙連內山發現野生茶樹。
• 嘉慶年間（1796-1820）由柯朝從武夷帶回茶種種在櫛魚坑（瑞芳附近），是北部 淡水河流域人工種植茶樹之起源。
• 據陳培桂淡水廳誌記載，石碇、文山居民多以植茶為業，道光年間（1821-1850）茶商運茶往福州販售。
• 相傳咸豐五年（ 1855 ）年林鳳池由武夷山帶回軟枝烏龍茶苗移植於鹿谷鄉凍頂村，其製茶工藝源自閩南。
• 大正八年【西元1919年】由張迺妙由安溪引進鐵觀音， 種於木柵樟湖地區。
• 1875年第一任恆春知縣周有基鼓勵種茶，為滿洲鄉港口茶之始。 該茶區因位於南部，又受落山風影響，以滋味苦澀後勁強烈為特色。

• 清末台茶興起之二─精製外銷

• 天津條約簽訂，1860年淡水開港，吸引洋行前來大稻埕設茶廠，精製烏龍茶外銷歐美。

• 1869年寶順洋行以兩艘帆船載運21萬斤烏龍茶打著FORMOSA TEA標誌由淡水直銷紐約，大受歡迎，開啟台茶直銷歐美市場。

• 外商紛來設洋行外銷台茶，1872年大稻埕已有寶順、德記、怡記、水陸和愛利士五洋行從事台茶貿易。

• 1872年大稻埕烏龍茶滯銷，運往福州改製包種茶。

• 1881年福建同安吳福老設『源隆號』精製包種茶並外銷。

• 1889年劉銘傳令茶業界成立『茶郊永和興』〈今日台北市茶商公會的前身〉，以防止茶葉摻混劣品，並團結業界，改良技術，擴張市場。

• 烏龍茶由洋行主銷歐美市場〈1885-1894十年平均年銷一萬三千噸〉、福建茶商之包種茶主銷南洋市場〈1894年有一千七百噸年出口量〉。

• ¡1895年烏龍茶外銷8871噸。26年間成長70倍。 1868-1895共28年間茶葉出口佔總出口值53%。 茶產業成為台灣農業發展時期的主要創匯產業；影響台灣都市發展重心從南部移到北部。

Tea, next to water, is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, consumed by both the privileged and the masses. Treatises on the historical, technical, botanical, pharmacological and medical aspects of tea have appeared regularly starting with Lu Yu's Ch'aChing, or "Tea Script," published in 780 A.D.

19th century cartoon linking tea and health
when plumpness was considered healthy

The adulteration of green tea became profitable during the seventeenth century. It drew widespread concern as did fears of many kinds of food adulteration in an era in which chemistry was beginning to play a role in detecting fraudulent goods. [Accum, Phil. 1820; Smith, London 1827]

Throughout the centuries, the practice of boiling water to make tea has probably saved millions of lives during epidemics of cholera, typhoid fever, and others caused by waterborne pathogens. [Jacob Bigelow (Boston 1854); Sigmond (London, 1839)]

Before World War II, the major producers of green and oolong tea were China and Japan. Americans consumed 40% green tea, 20% oolong and 40% black tea. During World War II, tea from China and Japan was not available, but trade routes to India, which produced only black tea, remained open. After World War II, most of the tea consumed in the U.S. was black. In recent years, with revelations about its health benefits, sales of green tea have grown.

In the 1950s, scientists were convinced that tea had beneficial qualities, but their convictions lacked specificity.

"Tea is more than an aqueous infusion of caffeine and tannins: it has effects beyond what can be seen by gastroscope; one cannot describe its ancient popularity on the basis of its somewhat negligible vitamin and mineral content. Somehow the vital fraction remains undiscovered-or, perhaps there is no single missing factor, but merely the fortuitous combination of fractions which together produce something bigger and better than the simple addition of components."

Proceedings of the International Symposium on Tea Science