by teakemp

Tea as we know it today originated in China. The ancient Chinese discovered the tea plant and its uses, which began as medicinal uses then evolved into recreational use where they began making tea solely for the pleasure of drinking and storing it for consumption.

In China, the custom of drinking tea spread quickly and widely and evolved from the tea-horse trade route. However it wasn’t until the late 15th century when the East began to trade with the West, that the Western world gradually learned about the beauty and wonder of tea, and by the beginning of the 17th century the Chinese began regular exportation of tea to the Western world.

-The Ancient Tea-horse Trade Route -Sea Trade Routes Increase the Spread of Tea Throughout the World