This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Exeter chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Why is tea so important in modern-day life? Tea is deeply associated with British culture, but
interestingly, it doesn’t originate from England. It’s estimated that over 100 million cups of tea
are consumed daily in the UK alone. Given its cultural importance, it’s worth exploring the
history of tea to understand when and how the British obsession with it began.
It may not be widely known, but tea actually originates from China. According to legend, in
2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting under a tree while his servant boiled
water. Leaves from the tree blew into the pot, creating an aromatic infusion. The emperor
decided to drink it and thus, tea was born. While this story may not be entirely factual, there
is archaeological evidence that tea was significant in early Chinese culture; emperors were
even buried with tea in their tombs. Tea became fully established in China during the Tang
Dynasty, when it was officially declared the national drink.
As tea gained popularity in China, it began to spread to Japan. Japanese Buddhist monks
who travelled to China to study brought tea back with them. It quickly gained popularity in
Japan and eventually led to the development of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, which has
roots in Chinese tea rituals described in historical texts.
Tea reached some parts of Europe before arriving in England. In the late 16th century, there
were brief mentions of tea, as travellers began bringing back small samples from the East.
The Dutch were the first to import tea commercially in the final years of the 16th century. By
the early 17th century, they had established a trading post on the island of Java, allowing
them to ship tea from China to the Netherlands. Tea became fashionable among the Dutch
upper class and was seen as a symbol of wealth. Its popularity led to its spread across
Western Europe.
In England, the British East India Company played a key role in the introduction of tea. It’s
believed that English sailors would bring tea home as gifts, although it wasn’t mentioned in
English newspapers until 1658. The first coffee house in London opened in 1652, and at that
point, most of the public had never heard of tea. The real turning point came with King
Charles II’s marriage to Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess who was famously
passionate about tea. Her arrival in England helped establish tea as a fashionable drink at
court, and it soon became popular among the wealthy classes. As demand for tea grew, the
British East India Company began importing it directly from China in 1664.
A significant step in the modernisation of tea was the invention of the tea bag. Although
invented in America in the early 20th century, tea bags didn’t become common in Britain until
the 1970s. Even after the end of the British Empire, British companies continued to play a
key role in the tea industry. Today, major brands such as PG Tips, Yorkshire Tea, Twinings,
and Tetley dominate the UK market. PG Tips is such a staple in my everyday life. My dad
practically forced me to like tea, and now I catch myself asking,
“Who wants a cup of tea?”. I’ve found its history fascinating, and I hope you have too.