Last week, I was sick. Not just sick….SICK! I had a fever that wouldn’t quit, as well as
body aches that amplified the pain I was already experiencing prior to the
onset of whatever “bug” I had contracted.
I was listless, lethargic, my desire for food was nonexistent, and I
couldn’t concentrate on anything. The
only thing that provided me with a bit of respite was the time I was in a
bubble of drug induced sleep. I was a
mess.
Using my cayenne regiment and a few other things, I was able
to kick this bug’s butt in three days, but during this whole ordeal, the thing
that provided me with the most comfort (besides my wife, Terry) was the
simplicity of hot tea. It soothed my
throat, kept me warm and comfortable, calmed my anxiety, and kept me hydrated;
particularly helpful since I had a fever.
So what’s the deal with Tea?
A lot! And let me tell you that
you don’t have to be an English aristocrat, an Asian sensei, or Peruvian mystic to enjoy and benefit from tea. The problem is where to start since it is
such a huge subject. Well, I plan on
dividing this subject into three entries in order to cover the most
ground. So with that, let’s take our time,
break things down a little and find out about tea!
First of all, what is tea exactly? Well it depends on what we are talking
about. There are two main definitions of
tea. Technically tea is defined as “an
aromatic beverage made by pouring hot or boiling water over the cured leaves of
the tea plant, Camellia senensis.” Tea can also be defined as an infusion of hot
water into a variety of aromatic herbs and spices without the use of the tea
plant, which is most widely known as Herbal Tea. Both have their merits, and are quite
delicious, but for our purposes today, we will focus on the actual
plant/beverage definition.
A short history on tea
Believe it or not, after water, tea is the most consumed
beverage in the entire world (sorry coffee drinkers). It enjoys a rich history
that began with the Chinese, who from ancient times first used the plant to
make a medicinal drink. While nobody
knows for sure who invented the actual beverage, Chinese legend attributes it
to Shennong back in 2737 BC, with the earliest recorded record of people
drinking tea dating back to the 10th century BC. What is most evident, is that it had become
part of the country’s culture, and remained unknown to the outside world until
the 16th century, where tea was first introduced to traders and priests from
Portugal. From there, it began a slow
migration from nation to nation across the world as it was introduced to more
and more people, becoming a much prized and treasured staple.
By the 1700’s, drinking tea became a popular pastime of the wealthy
in England, although it was quite expensive.
The British eventually introduced tea seeds to its colony in India in
order to compete against the Chinese monopoly on the supply. In time they were
successful and fashioned an abundant supply of their own, creating a flourishing
and profitable enterprise. Unfortunately
by the 1770’s due to an overabundance of tea on their hands, and thanks to the
efforts of tea smugglers who sold it to the common folk in both Great Britain
and the American colonies at reasonable prices, their profits dwindled, causing
no small amount of consternation to the British government and their East India
Trading Company. Eventually to both save
their company from financial ruin and to tighten the reins on the colonists in
America, Britain enacted the Tea Act, which became the catalyst for both the
Boston Tea Party and America’s Revolutionary War.
Wow! Who knew that
such a small leaf could have such a large effect on world events?
The three names for Tea
Being such a large country with many provinces and dialects,
China gave rise to many different names for the tea plant and the beverage that
it made. The most influential and
important of them can be boiled down to two main names, plus a special third derivative.
Te - from the Amoy language of the southern Fujian province. This name migrated to the west through
European traders who spread it throughout western Europe. From England to the colonies
in America, Te became tea
Cha - from the Cantonese language of Guangzhou, Hong Kong
and Macau. This name migrated to
southern Europe and Portugal through trade with primarily Portuguese traders.
Chay - a Persian derivative of Cha. The name Cha passed overland to Central Asia and
picked up the yi suffix in Persia, before being passed on to Russia, Arabian
and Turkish lands. Our modern word Chai
is derived from Chay.
 |
| Masala Chai |
Interestingly enough, the English language over the years
has used all three words. Cha in the
16th century, Tea from the 17th century and Chai from the 20th century
Fun Fact: Many people
at coffee houses and shops often ask for “chai tea” when they are referring to
the South Asian beverage with milk and Indian spices. The proper name for this beverage is Masala
Chai. This knowledge is inferred by the
server when you ask for the beverage referred to as chai. Technically, by saying chai tea, you are
actually saying “tea tea.”
In part two, I will delve into the health benefits of tea. I will also provide you with a little information
on proper tea preparation according to variety. Stay tuned.
Blessings,
Nehemiah
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