It’s time to adorn the tapestry of tea with a timeline. A green timeline.
1. 2737 BCE – Serendipitous discovery
Where to begin? It seems that every time we look into the history of tea we uncover a new origin story.
This week we’ll begin with Chinese Emperor Shen Nong, considered to be the father of Chinese medicine and agriculture. What could be more central in that Venn diagram than tea?
According to legend, he discovered tea when leaves from a wild tea plant fell into his boiling water. Very convenient!
Initially consumed for its medicinal properties, tea became central to Chinese culture during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE).
Over the next few thousand years, Chinese tea culture developed into part of daily life and eventually started to spread worldwide.
For more on the subject, read our blog: Tea rituals of the world. Volume 1 - China
"Tea tempers the spirit, harmonises the mind, dispels lassitude, and relieves fatigue. It awakens thought and prevents drowsiness." – Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss, The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide.
Very nicely put, Mary.
2. 8th century CE – Green tea hits the road
We’ll now fast forward 3000 or so years.
Green tea was transported along camel caravan routes that would eventually be known as the Silk Road - a network of trade routes that connected the Eastern and Western worlds for over 1400 years. Along the way, it became a staple part of daily life from Kashmir to Persia.
For an overview of the linguistic implications of road vs boat, have a look at our blog post: Tea by sea, cha by land
Around 805 BCE, Buddhist monks introduced tea cultivation to Japan which would prove significant for global tea culture.
"Tea, carried by camel caravans and ships, was the liquid thread stitching together a vast cultural tapestry." – China Heritage Quarterly.
3. 12th century – Matcha and Japanese refinement
It’s widely acknowledged that Japanese monk Eisai Zenji introduced green tea to Japan when founding the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism in the twelfth century. Tea was quickly adopted as a method for staying alert during mediation (the wonders of caffeine), but the ritual of tea making itself quickly transcended to a form of meditation and craft in its own right.
Artisans began making precision tools such as the chasen (whisk) and chawan (bowl).
The art of making matcha is not in the tools or the tea, but in the sincerity of the heart preparing it." – Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea.
4. 15th–16th century – Tea meets maritime trade
European merchants, notably the Portuguese and Dutch, introduced green tea to the West during the Age of Discovery.
Meanwhile, green tea made its way across trade routes to North Africa, where mint green tea (ataaya) flourished. Moroccan mint tea is as delicious as it is interesting so go have a read of our blog post: Tea rituals of the world. Volume 3 - Morocco.
"The sea routes connected the Orient and Occident, carrying not just goods but the tastes and traditions of tea." – A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage.
5. 17th–18th century – Green tea gains a global foothold
Green tea was popular in Britain before black tea dominated and subsequently went the same way as their empire - everywhere.
But why black, not green?
Black tea’s oxidation made it more robust and easier to transport without spoilage, giving it an edge in the West’s colder climates. East Asian traditions prized the subtler flavours of green tea, supported by shorter, local trade routes.
"Where tea travelled, it adapted, but its essence—bringing people together—remained." – World History Encyclopedia.
6. Late 19th century – Western health curiosity
By the late 1800s, green tea attracted Western scientists for its digestive and soothing properties, though it remained niche outside Asian immigrant communities.
Thomas Vowler Short (16 September 1790 – 13 April 1872) was an English academic and clergyman, successively Bishop of Sodor and Man and Bishop of St Asaph and notable tea enthusiast.
In 1730, Thomas Short conducted experiments on tea's health effects, claiming it had curative properties against ailments such as scurvy, indigestion, chronic fear, and grief.
"Tea became not just a drink but an object of study, a curiosity in a Western world hungry for discovery." – Journal of the American Medical Association, 1890s.
7. Mid-20th century – The Japanese innovation boom
Japan revolutionised green tea cultivation with gyokuro and sencha.
Gyokuro (meaning "jade dew") is shaded before harvest, giving it a delicate, sweet flavour with less bitterness.
Sencha represents a more common, unshaded variety that is steamed immediately after harvest, preserving its fresh, grassy taste. Japan’s focus on precision extended to crafting superior tools, from chasen to kyusu teapots.
Over 90 percent of Japanese matcha bamboo whisks are made in one small village in northwest Nara Prefecture. The tradition goes back over 500 years, when the Tokugawa Shogunate bestowed 13 families in Takayama village with the Tanimura surname with the right to make chasen.
"The Japanese have elevated tea to an art form, where every sip is a meditation on life itself." – Taro Gold, The Art of Japanese Tea.
8. 1980s–1990s – Health benefits drive Western popularity
Scientific studies on green tea’s antioxidants (notably catechins) linked it to reduced cancer risk, weight loss, and overall wellness. These findings made it a staple of the burgeoning health and wellness industry.
For a deep dive on green tea and health, read our blog post: Going green (tea) - Everything you need to know
"Green tea is no longer a drink; it is a lifestyle—symbolic of balance and vitality." – American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1994.
9. 21st century – KitKats and beyond
Green tea flavoured KitKat.
Green tea has exploded in global popularity as a flavour, inspiring matcha lattes, green tea KitKats, and boba tea.
"Japanese matcha tea has taken off around the world, with devotees swearing by the feelgood qualities of the vitamin- and antioxidant-rich “superfood”. With brands and cafés finding ever more creative uses for this earthy, bitter green-tea leaf powder, the global market is set to grow from $3.48bn in 2023 to $5.78bn in 2028." Financial Times
10. The future – Green tea 2.0
Sustainability and innovation drive the future of green tea. Producers are exploring eco-friendly farming, zero-waste packaging, and experimental blends like CBD-infused teas.
Will green tea culture eventually eat itself. One Chanui correspondent once saw a matcha KitKat flavoured green tea boba in a trendy café in Hong Kong.
What a time to be alive!