History of tea

A tea plantation in Ciwidey, Bandung in Indonesia

The history of tea spreads across many cultures throughout thousands of years. The tea plant Camellia sinensis is native probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northern Myanmar.[1][2][3] One of the earliest accounts of tea drinking is dated back to China's Shang dynasty, in which tea was consumed in a medicinal concoction.[4] An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the 3rd century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo.[5] It first became known to the western world through Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the early 16th century.[6] Drinking tea became popular in Britain during the 17th century. To compete with the Chinese monopoly on tea, the British East India Company introduced commercial tea production to British India. [7]

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  2. ^ Mary Lou Heiss; Robert J. Heiss. The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide. Camellia sinensis originated in southeast Asia, specifically around the intersection of 29th parallel and 98th meridian, the point of confluence of the lands of southwest China and Tibet, north Myanmar, and northeast India, citing Mondal (2007) p. 519
  3. ^ Heiss & Heiss 2007, pp. 6–7.
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