When and How People Started Using Tea Leaves?

Tea leaves

Tea is one of the oldest beverages in the world. In fact, it’s been around for more than 5,000 years! The first mention of tea dates back to about 2700 B.C. when an Emperor in China recorded that his people boiled water and drank a drink made from tea leaves. Tea has many health benefits and is one of the most popular drinks in the world today.

The first mention of tea dates back to about 2700 B.C.

The first mention of tea dates back to about 2700 B.C. when it was mentioned in a Chinese medical text. In this text, tea was described as a medicine that could help with digestion and other health issues.

The earliest known record of tea drinking was in Lu Yu’s Cha Jing (book on tea), written during the Tang dynasty between 659 and 730 A.D. The book describes how to grow and process tea leaves for use in various beverages, such as watery teas or strong infusions like pu-erh.

All types of tea come from one species of plant

Tea is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, a shrub-like tree that grows in many parts of the world. The plant is native to China and hard enough to grow in many different climates. It’s also a small evergreen plant that can reach 6 feet tall or more if left unchecked by humans or other animals who might eat it for food.

Tea leaves are dried and then steeped in hot water to produce a beverage with a variety of flavors, colors, and health benefits. All types of tea come from one species of plant: Camellia sinensis.

Camellia sinensis is native to China, Japan, India, and Sri Lanka but can also grow wild in other parts of Asia, such as Taiwan or Thailand. It is a shrub-like tree that grows up to 10 meters tall (32 feet) with fragrant white flowers that bloom during late spring through early summer before turning into small green fruits containing 2 seeds each!

There are four main types of tea

There are four main types of tea – black, green, oolong, and white.

Black tea is the most common type of tea in the world, and it’s made from leaves that have been fermented before being dried. It has a stronger flavor than other teas because it has been fermented longer and oxidized more during this process.

Green tea is not fermented, so its flavor is much lighter than black or oolong teas. It’s also much healthier as it contains less caffeine than other kinds of tea (although this depends on how long you brew your cup). Oolong teas are partially fermented, resulting in an interesting flavor between green and black teas! White teas are made from buds rather than leaves so they have little to no caffeine content at all – making them incredibly popular among health-conscious consumers looking for an alternative hot beverage option without sacrificing taste too much!

The different kinds of tea come from different ways of processing 

The different kinds of tea come from different ways of processing the leaves after picking them. New leaves are picked once a year in China and Japan, usually during May and June. The leaves are withered, rolled, fermented, and dried before being packaged for sale.

In India and Sri Lanka, it’s done differently. Tea bushes are allowed to grow all year round to produce more buds at any given time. These are then picked by hand as needed (rather than having one harvest per year), withered on racks under shade cloths, or mats made from coconut husks until they have lost about 50% of their moisture content. After that, they are rolled into small balls between palms with some pressure applied.

They are left to ferment for a few hours in large containers where they turn black or red. This depends on whether they were oxidized before rolling or not, then dried over low heat while still folded into their original shape so as not to lose aroma compounds through evaporation during this process which may take up several days depending upon how long each step lasts before moving onto another phase like fermentation.

Leaves are picked once a year

Tea leaves are picked once a year, usually during May and June, in China and Japan. The best time to pick tea leaves is when the buds are about to open. In China, this occurs between April and May. In Japan, it’s between June and July, while in India, it’s between March and April.

The tea plant grows best at high altitudes (above 1,500 meters) where temperatures are cool but not freezing cold. Ideally, there should be at least four hours of sunlight each day without intense heat or humidity.

Conclusion

Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world. Its origins can be traced back thousands of years. The first mention of tea dates back to about 2700 B.C. when Chinese Emperor Shennong consumed it as a medicinal drink. Today, there are four main types of tea – black (which is fermented), green (unfermented), oolong (partially fermented), and white (fermented). All types come from one plant species: Camellia Sinensis. This plant grows in many parts of the world, including China and Japan.