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Tea Time

Alice's adventures in Wonderland (by Carroll, Lewis)
Zen Buddhism and its relation to art (by Waley, Arthur)
The Book of Tea : A Japanese Harmony of ... (by Okakura, Kakuzo)
Tea, Its Mystery and History (by Day, Samuel Phillips)

Having a cup of tea is a daily ritual for many people around the world. This soothing beverage can be enjoyed solo or shared with friends over conversation. Setting aside some leisure time for tea can be like going into an adult “time out.” Relaxation reigns—even if it’s only for fifteen minutes.

Many famous authors praised this daily indulgence. “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me,” said C. S. Lewis. “Tea is one of the mainstays of civilization,” opined George Orwell. The Mad Hatter’s jovial tea party in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is another memorable tea occasion.

According to Chinese legend, Emperor Shen Nung (Shennong) discovered tea in 2737 B.C., when tea leaves serendipitously fell into the boiling water that his servants were preparing for purifying purposes. The beverage is also central to the Japanese tea ceremony, which was largely influenced by Zen Buddhism.

The Book of Tea: A Japanese Harmony of Art Culture and the Simple Life states “All our great tea-masters were students of Zen and attempted to introduce the spirit of Zennism into the actualities of life. Thus the (tea) room, like the other equipments of the tea ceremony, reflects many of the Zen doctrines.”

“In due time Tea became, not simply in China and Japan, but also in India and Persia, the drink of ceremony,” wrote Samuel Phillips in Tea, Its Mystery and History.

The drink later arrived in England and became integral to British culture. During Victorian times, tasseography (also called tasseomancy or tassology) became a prominent means of fortune telling. The diviner or soothsayer interpreted the patterns of loose leaves left in the cup and assigned meaning.

Tasseography fell out of fashion in the early 1900s when American Thomas Sullivan invented the tea bag. He packaged tea samples in small silk pouches and sent them out to customers. Since he failed to include instructions, confused customers simply tossed the bagged tea in their pots. Sullivan swapped the costly silk for gauze and brought ready-to-use tea bags to market.

After water, tea remains the most widely consumed beverage globally (Tea Association of the USA). Most of the world’s supply still hails from China. Other top markets include Argentina, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, and Vietnam.

In the U.S., black and green teas reign, but matcha (a green tea) has been trending in recent years. Identified as a “lifestyle” trend, matcha has also moved into the food category. In terms of consumption, South America is one of the biggest tea markets in the world with mate (made from a South American shrub) taking the top spot.

By Regina Molaro