A Lesson in Tea and Coffee
Tea and coffee are two beverages with very rich histories. There?s a whole culture surrounding these beverages. You don?t just drink coffee or tea; usually, it?s a social event or an event invested with ritualized meaning. Here is a brief glimpse at the history of these two very significant beverages.
According to ancient legend, coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia, where it grew wild. Goat herders made the realization that their goats, after eating the coffee berries, couldn?t keep still and couldn?t sleep during the night. There?s another story about a dissident who was sent into the desert to die of starvation. The man, whose name was Omar, and his disciples happened upon the coffee plant and in despair, they ate it. It was the coffee plant that saved their lives. They made it to a nearby town called Mocha, where local residents saw it as a miracle.
Historians believe that coffee was first drank around 1000 AD. In Yemen (southern Arabia), Sufi monks apparently brewed the drink within their monasteries. The drink traveled to Yemen and Egypt via Ethiopia. As with so many other inventions, we can credit the Arabians for introducing the roasting and brewing technique we are familiar with in these modern times. From the Middle East, the plant spread to Northern Africa by around 1450. It then took off in Europe by way of Italy; from there it spread to Indonesia and then eventually America.
In order to protect their investment, Arabians made their coffee beans infertile by boiling them before shipping them out. According to legend, an Indian man whose name was Baba Budan defied the Arabian measures by sneaking out fertile beans strapped to his stomach. Thus came coffee to Europe through ancient Venice and the beverage boomed.
The Dutch began importing coffee in significant amounts, defying the Arab prohibition in 1616. They then took their crop to Java and Ceylon. Exports of Indonesian coffee to the Netherlands took place around 1711.
Of course, now coffee is a staple. Making a great cup of coffee takes time and practice, but it?s well worth it.
Tea has a long and varied history too. It can be traced back to ancient China. The emperor Shen Nung is credited with discovering tea about 5,000 years ago. As a wise and learned man, the emperor passed an edict that all water should be boiled before it was drank. One day, while the emperor and his court were traveling, they stopped for some water. The servants set up the pot to boil it and some dried leaves from a bush fell into it, making tea. The emperor, always inquisitive, tasted the new concoction and was delighted. This was the birth of tea.
Tea was big in ancient China. Lu Yu wrote a comprehensive book on tea in the year 800 AD describing cultivation methods, tea drinking practices and rituals. The book became very popular.
Tea was first introduced to Japan by the Buddhist priest Yeisei who had been in China and saw first hand how it enhanced meditation practices. Tea was an immediate hit. Soon an art form was erected around tea and the famed Japanese Tea Ceremony was created.
Tea was introduced to Europe in 1560 via the Portuguese Jesuit Jasper de Cruz. From there it spread like wild fire. - 17274
According to ancient legend, coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia, where it grew wild. Goat herders made the realization that their goats, after eating the coffee berries, couldn?t keep still and couldn?t sleep during the night. There?s another story about a dissident who was sent into the desert to die of starvation. The man, whose name was Omar, and his disciples happened upon the coffee plant and in despair, they ate it. It was the coffee plant that saved their lives. They made it to a nearby town called Mocha, where local residents saw it as a miracle.
Historians believe that coffee was first drank around 1000 AD. In Yemen (southern Arabia), Sufi monks apparently brewed the drink within their monasteries. The drink traveled to Yemen and Egypt via Ethiopia. As with so many other inventions, we can credit the Arabians for introducing the roasting and brewing technique we are familiar with in these modern times. From the Middle East, the plant spread to Northern Africa by around 1450. It then took off in Europe by way of Italy; from there it spread to Indonesia and then eventually America.
In order to protect their investment, Arabians made their coffee beans infertile by boiling them before shipping them out. According to legend, an Indian man whose name was Baba Budan defied the Arabian measures by sneaking out fertile beans strapped to his stomach. Thus came coffee to Europe through ancient Venice and the beverage boomed.
The Dutch began importing coffee in significant amounts, defying the Arab prohibition in 1616. They then took their crop to Java and Ceylon. Exports of Indonesian coffee to the Netherlands took place around 1711.
Of course, now coffee is a staple. Making a great cup of coffee takes time and practice, but it?s well worth it.
Tea has a long and varied history too. It can be traced back to ancient China. The emperor Shen Nung is credited with discovering tea about 5,000 years ago. As a wise and learned man, the emperor passed an edict that all water should be boiled before it was drank. One day, while the emperor and his court were traveling, they stopped for some water. The servants set up the pot to boil it and some dried leaves from a bush fell into it, making tea. The emperor, always inquisitive, tasted the new concoction and was delighted. This was the birth of tea.
Tea was big in ancient China. Lu Yu wrote a comprehensive book on tea in the year 800 AD describing cultivation methods, tea drinking practices and rituals. The book became very popular.
Tea was first introduced to Japan by the Buddhist priest Yeisei who had been in China and saw first hand how it enhanced meditation practices. Tea was an immediate hit. Soon an art form was erected around tea and the famed Japanese Tea Ceremony was created.
Tea was introduced to Europe in 1560 via the Portuguese Jesuit Jasper de Cruz. From there it spread like wild fire. - 17274
About the Author:
Damian Papworth adores his Krups 4 cup coffee maker. You can read his write up on the One Cup Coffee Makers website.
posted by X - Men at
10:37 AM
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