Tea's Curiosities
Tea is one of the most common drinks around the world, due to its multiple benefits, more and more people are prone to consume it daily.
Thanks to the diverse mixtures that are created continuously, its flavor adapts to the different tastes and palates. In fact it’s an excellent food, healthy and devoid of calories, which is liked by all people who are under a diet. Also, tea offers vitamins A and B.
Similar to wine, tea has its own tannins that offers several benefits to the digestive tracts. Additionally, it’s common knowledge that its other components benefits the whole body , for example: blood circulation, the renal system and tones the skin, this last belief even gains more validity thanks to the youthful aspect of most orientals, where the intake of this drink is quite common.
Another tea benefit is the relaxation state that remains when we drink it, the process to make and drink a cup of tea influences this mental connection to achieve peace and calm, so, even in mental state tea has its own effect. Everyone knows about the famous tea ceremony and everything that each and one of the steps they carry out means, of course, in Western life the process of making a cup of tea is not so formal, but it is always nice to do it.
But, What are the origins of this fantastic drink?
Of course Chinese claims to be the creators, they’re the main consumers of it and have given tea its recognition as an excellent beverage. They even has a legend about it, according to this legend the Shenong emperor would have given instructions to boil the water throughout the kingdom, in order to reduce the damage that the town was suffering because of a terrible epidemic that hit the country. That’s why, one day of strong wind, while the emperor servant was boiling his water, some leaves of nearby trees fell into their pot of boiling water, giving the water a special aroma and flavor, that is how the first infusion of tea in history was born.
But, there’s another side, because Hindus also claim to be the creators of the wonderful drink. For them, the creator of the beneficial drink was the prince Bhodi Dhama, who in his attempt to spread the ideas of Buddhism in China, made the promise of staying awake for seven years. Then, when it had scarcely been five years, he felt himself vanish, so he looked for and chewed some leaves of a forest tree, after which he felt how his body and mind were revitalized, so he could successfully complete his promise. This legend has its own variations, because, according to a Japanese version of this legend, the prince Bhodi would have fallen asleep the third year of the challenge, as a punishment to him, he would have torn both eyelids and he would have thrown them to the ground. From each one of them a tea plant would have been born. Being this the Hindu origin to all tea plants around the world.
Japaneses also claims to be the creators of the tea, modifying the Hindu legend about it and the fact that the first shipment of tea to Holland and France, so, they have commercial documents to support it.
As you can see, many countries and legends are credited with the origin of the traditional drink, however, all these stories are only left to discuss and share on a pleasant afternoon tea, while enjoying its excellent taste and health benefits.
Sources:
Stories and conversations of my family
Being a tea loving Brit I just have to give this post an upvote! Nice post and very interesting read :)
My family is also a tea lover, that's why this theme comes to my attention.
Thanks for comment and upvote! always appreciated.
Have a blessed day.