Tea 101 Intro to Tea- Legends and History

Question 1

Legend says Emperor _________ discovered tea in 2737 BC while boiling water in the shade of a tree. Leaves of a wild tea plant fell into his boiled water.

Answer 1

Shen Nong

Question 2

Legend of Bodhidharma: Bodhidharma was first patriarch of Zen. Facing Shaolin Temple in China was determined to meditate for _____ ______. Drowsed off and in his anger sliced off his eyelids and threw them to the ground. From the ______ the first tea bush grew.

Answer 2

Nine years, eyelids

Question 3

China, Lu Yu (723-804 AD)

Answer 3

First to create a treatise of tea- which standardized methods of preparation for 1st time.

Question 4

First grand tea master in Japan (1522-1591)to transform tea into a religion, an art and a philosophy.

Answer 4

Sen No Rikyu

Question 5

When did tea first appear in Japan?

Answer 5

7th century by Buddhist monks, associated with Zen Buddhism.

Question 6

What are the 2 prevailing Japanese philosophies that provide symbolic foundation of Japanese tea ceremony?

Answer 6

1. Ichigo Ichie- through tea, recognition is given that every human encounter is a singular occasion which can and will never recur again exactly.
2. Wabi: Finding beauty in the imperfect/ appreciating the profound in all things nature.

Question 7

Who were the first to encounter tea in China?

Answer 7

Portuguese- technologically advanced navy given them the 1st access to trade with China

Question 8

When was the first tea chests to arrive in Europe?

Answer 8

1606

Question 9

Which European countries to embrace tea?

Answer 9

Holland and France.

England was the last to join in 1652-1654

Question 10

In 1618 which country was introduced to tea when the trade route was established?

Answer 10

Russia- Route was 11000 miles long- took 16 mos. to complete (200-300 camels)

Question 11

Tea in England. Tea was popularized by _______ & his wife __________________ of Portugal.

Answer 11

King Charles II, Catherine de Breganza

Question 12

What are the Tea Opium Wars all about?

Answer 12

China didn’t want to trade for England’s only commodity- cotton. The John Company grew opium in India, sold it for silver and traded the silver for tea.

Question 13

By 1650 the _____________ were actively involved in trade throughout western world. Tea was introduced to America by ____________ and ______________ settlers.

Answer 13

Dutch, English, Dutch.

Question 14

When was the Boston Tea Party?

Answer 14

1773

Question 15

What lead to the Boston tea party?

Answer 15

England decided to place a tax on goods being sent to the colonies as payment for having fought their was (French Indian War).
A protest against the British gov’t it’s tea act of 1773 and the East India Company monopoly.

Question 16

What are tea clippers?

Answer 16

American ships used for tea trade which (1789) were long in length, used to out-sail the slower British ships.

Question 17

What were the smaller clippers / ships called that were used for opium trade ?

Answer 17

Opium clippers

Question 18

Explain the Boston Tea Party

Answer 18

Boston officials refused to return 3 shiploads of taxed tea to Britain. Colonists boarded the ship and threw tea overboard.
Colonists only wanted to pay tax by their elected officials.
This lead to the American Revolution.

Question 19

What lead to the American Revolution?

Answer 19

Boston Tea Party

Question 20

When was the first shipment of tea to Canada?

Answer 20

1716

Question 21

The ____________ Company imported the first shipment of tea to Canada, which took more than ___________ to arrive.

Answer 21

Hudson Bay, 1 year

Question 22

Up until 1800s in Canada tea was sold loose by local merchants, out of tea chests.

Answer 22

True

Question 23

When was the first tea shipment in Canada? And how long did it take to arrive?

Answer 23

1716- 1st shipment of imported loose leaf tea by the Hudson Bay Company; took > 1 year to arrive.