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III.11 - Tea

from Part III - Dietary Liquids

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2008

By
John Weisburger  and
James Comer
Edited by
Kenneth F. Kiple  and
Kriemhild Coneè Ornelas
Kenneth F. Kiple
Affiliation:
Bowling Green State University, Ohio
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Summary

Tea, a drink made from the leaves and buds of the shrub Camellia sinensis, is the most culturally and economically significant nonalcoholic beverage in the world. Originating in China, it had spread to surrounding nations before European contact, after which it was made a commodity of world importance by the British and Dutch East India Companies. Wars have been waged, nations punished, and fortunes made and lost because of this beverage. One reason that tea has been a very profitable article of trade is that it is a source of caffeine – a major factor in its popularity (Willson and Clifford 1992).

Although there are many kinds of herbal beverages called “teas,” in this chapter the term “tea” refers only to Camellia sinensis. Both infusions (pouring hot water over the leaves) and decoctions (boiling the leaves in water) have been made from the plant, which has also been eaten raw, cooked, or pickled and has even been snuffed.

Botany and Production

Camellia sinensis is native to the mountainous highlands between India and China and, when untrimmed, can grow to a height of about 10 meters. One variety, Camellia sinensis sinensis, is native to China, whereas Camellia sinensis assamica comes from India (Harler 1963). A semitropical or tropical climate is necessary for raising tea; the northernmost places where it has been grown are South Carolina (in the United States) and in Asia near the Black Sea. Bushes grown at high elevations produce the best tea (Willson and Clifford 1992). Yields range from 700 to more than 1,800 kilograms (kg) per acre (Harler 1964).

Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge World History of Food , pp. 712 - 720
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2000

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