Origins of Tea and Coffee

A) Coffee originated in Yemen, Arabia where it was viewed as a religious beverage. Over time it spread to Mecca and Cairo, where it became a recreational drink to be drunk in a social manner in large coffee houses. It also became a popular substitute for alcohol, which was banned under Islam. Europeans traveling in the Middle East came upon coffee and coffeehouses and commented on their popularity. But it wasn’t until 1652, when an Armenian servant named Pasqua Rosee opened the first coffee house in London, that coffee transformed from a little known novelty into a wide spread phenomenon. When, in 1658, Cromwell died and public opinion swung in the favor of a new monarchy, coffee houses became central in political debates and commercial business. The trend quickly caught on and coffee houses became fashionable throughout Europe.

Tea became a mainstream drink in Asia around 100 BCE. It then became a mainstream drink in Europe around 1610 CE.

The caffeine in coffee become an ethical increase over alcohol and have become a fashionable social beverage. It was interesting to see how it started off as this very exotic drink only for the upper class and then turned into what it is now. Coffee is a very fashionable drink that does not cost much that many have led their days with in today’s society.

The earliest consumption of coffee is believed to have been by the Sufi Muslims around mocha in Yemen. The coffee beans were harvested and brewed just like the way they are prepared today. From this area, it spread across the Middle East, Europe and finally to North Africa by the 16th century. (Pendergrast,

1. Coffee originated in Europe by the expansion of “Age of Exploration” opening new ideas with criticism, tolerance, and freedom of thought.

Tea: Tea began as a luxury drink, and then trickled down to become the beverage of the working man. The story of tea is the story of imperialism, industrialization, and world domination. According to Chinese tradition, the first cup of tea was brewed by the emperor Shen Nung. Before tea was a beverage, it was used for medicinal purposes and foodstuff. Tea became a daily drink in China around the third century A.D. As the Industrial Revolution of 18th and 19th centuries gained steam, tea provided some of the fuel. Factory workers stayed alert during long, monotonous shifts thanks to welcome tea breaks. The beverage also had unintended health benefits for rapidly growing urban areas. Chewing leaves and rubbing them on wounds were ways that tea was used for medicinal purposes.

The Tea that reach America from china inspired new addictions, new trade connections and new forms of luxury, new social critiques and simmering provincial inferiority. Many caffeinated drinks had come before the tea however this was a new drink to the English-speaking world. Nevertheless, this drink did not come without its own problems (50).

The origins of tea are rooted in China (Food Timeline). According to legend, the beneficial properties of tea were first discovered by the Emperor Shen Nung in the year 2737 B.C. He drank only boiled water for hygienic purposes, and one day while he drank a breeze rustled the branches of a tree and a few leaves fell into his cup. Creating the first cup of tea. It is challenging to know whether or not the emperor was real or just a part of the spiritual and cultural development of ancient China. China was not unified as an empire until the third century, so it is unlikely emperors existed back then. One thing that is known is that tea was popular in China thousands of years ago. The first written reference of tea is in the third century B.C. A famous surgeon recommended the beverage to patients to increase concentration and alertness. Tea was first written as “tu” in ancient texts. This caused a good deal of confusion because the same Chinese character was used for both tea and Chinese sow thistles. Between 206 B.C. and A.D. 220 a Han Dynasty emperor ruled that when referring to tea, the characters should be pronounced as “cha”. From here on, tracing tea’s history became easier because tea acquired its own individual character (Food Timeline).

Spirits were typically used for getting drunk, while coffee was not. Beer and wine were often used for social, religious, or everyday events. Coffee was seen as a sophisticated beverage, meant for the minds of scientists and thinkers.

Tea first became a mainstream drink in Asia in the first century BCE. Tea was then introduced to Europe in the early sixteenth century.

For people to have a better understanding of coffee, they should know the history of coffee, the negative effects of drinking coffee, and the benefits of drinking coffee.

There are various legends about how tea was discovered, but the most famous is the story of Shen Nung, the ancient Emperor of China, who, in 2737 BC, was boiling his drinking water when leaves from a nearby tea bush tree blew into the cauldron. After drinking the brew, the emperor was pleasantly surprised by its flavor and restorative properties. Thus, tea was born. It quickly became the favorite beverage in China and spread to Europe and the Americas].

Coffee in world history has changed many things from its first appearance in 1635 up until today. Its effects were seen in the people, on the economy, and on the social aspect of life. These effects were mainly beneficial with some exceptions. Documents 1,3,5,7,8, and 10 show positive social effects on the people. While documents 1,3,4, and 9 show how the effects of coffee were seen positively on a worldwide scale. Whether looking close up in social communities, or looking at it as a global impact, coffee proved to have a very large and beneficial influence on how people lived their lives throughout history.

Knowing Chinese tea culture thoroughly is a wise way for people to explore the Chinese society and culture. As a traditional drink, it has been planted and consumed for over five thousands years. The climate of China is perfect for growing tea, which leads to large quantities and good quality of tea. According to the line diagram, “Dynamics of manufacture of tea in China, thousand tons” there were about 1,200 thousands tons of tea manufactured in 2008, which made China the biggest tea manufacture country in the world. As we can see, tea has a special position in Chinese society. Due to its popularity, Chinese tea gradually raises international interest, and leads China to be a more influential country in the

“Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf was born and brewed in Southern California since 1963. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is the oldest and largest privately held specialty coffee and tea retailer in the United States. Since opening our first cafe in Brentwood, California, we have always been passionate about connecting loyal customers with carefully handcrafted products. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf only selects the top one percent of Arabica beans and finest hand-plucked, whole leaf tea” (www.coffeebean.com/about_us.html).