Prince Siddhartha

We have mentioned before that nobody knows for sure when and where tea was first discovered. One of the most popular legends is of a Chinese King by the name of Shen Nong who is said to have discovered tea around 2737 B.C. More information about this legend can be found in the article titled Shen Nong - The Father of Tea. There is another legend that has spread throughout the Orient and traveling wherever tea and Buddhism went, gaining a large following in Japan. This legend is important to the Buddhist version of tea’s discovery because of its important to Zen Buddhist religious practice.

The legend says that a Prince with an Indian name called Siddhartha Gautama made a pilgrimage to China. To prove his faith he vowed never to sleep, not even in years, but one day when he felt really fatigued he fell into a deep sleep. When the Prince Siddhartha woke from his dream he was so ashamed at having broken his vow that he tore off his eyelids and threw them into the ground. His eyelids took root and from them a bush of green tea leaves sprouted. Prince Siddhartha started eating these leaves and it helped with his meditation and alleviated his weariness so he recommended it to his followers.

According to Indian tea origin theorists, tea was introduced to China by Prince Siddhartha in 519 B.C. However, tea had already been a part of China’s culture for at least one thousand years before Prince Siddhartha’s birth. It seems like the true origin of tea will remain unknown for the time being. Even though the legends of the origin of tea are wonderful in essence, they seem to hold some myth in them.

Join me in my next article as I explore the facts that allow us to determine the true origins of tea.

Tea has been around for a long time. Although there is no doubt tea originated in China, nobody knows for sure how the first cup was brewed. However, there is a famous story about the origin of tea that dates back to the year 2737 BC, when China was under the rule of King Shen Nong.

Shen Nong

King Shen Nong was known as the father of agriculture and medicine. As the story goes, the king had made it a rule to boil water before drinking it because he believed this would make it healthier to drink. One day when the king was visiting a distant region of his realm, he decided to take a brake and ordered his servants to bring him water. As the servants started bowling the water according to the king’s rule, dry leaves from a nearby bush started to fall on the pot of water. The king became very interested in the infused water and found it to be very delicious and at once felt invigorated. Tea was born.

King Shen Nong was always very concern with his health and that of his people. He recommended tea to those around him, saying, “Tea gives vigor to the body, contentment to the mind, and determination of purpose.” Thanks to his concerns on health, he has been said to discover tea and its medicinal powers.

Even though many affirm that tea was discovered by King Shen Nong, chances are that a king by this name never existed. There used to be a primitive farming tribe in China by the name of Shennong. A clever chieftain is said to have invented plowing tools and to discover tea along with other medicinal herbs through personal experimentation. Legend has given him the status of divinity, the name King Shen Nong, and the title of Father of Tea.

A couple of nights ago I decided I wanted to make fried rice, so I went on the Internet, found a recipe and started looking for all the ingredients I was going to need. I soon realized there were a few things I was missing: green onions, carrots and celery. I went to my local grocery store, walked towards the fruits and vegetables section and bought the ingredients I needed.

Camellia sinensis

Making fried rice was pretty easy once I knew what I needed to buy, where to get it and how to make it. I would have never gone to an electronics store to buy the ingredients I was missing. Making sense of things by placing items into groups where they share commonalities makes sense, and that is exactly what scientists do with plants.

Camellia is the name of the genus (a group) from where the tea plant comes from. The name of the species where the tea plant comes from is called Camellia sinesis, but before I confuse you, here is the complete classification of the tea plant:

1- Kingdom: Plantae
2- Division: Magnoliophyta
3- Class: Magnoliopsida
4- Order: Ericales
5- Family: Theaceae
6- Genus: Camellia
7- Species: Camellia sinensis

All teas, whether they are green, black, white, etc., come from the same plant. What makes each type of tea different are characteristics such as the age of the leaves and how those leaves are processed before they make it to your cup.

So there you have it. I’ve introduced you to the queen of the dance floor. Don’t be afraid to introduce her to your friends and have your own party… a tea party that is.