History of tea

The history of tea spreads across many cultures throughout thousands of years. The tea plant Camellia sinensis is both native and probably originated in the borderlands of China and northern Myanmar. One of the earliest accounts of tea drinking is dated back to China's Shang dynasty, in which tea was consumed in a medicinal concoction. One traditional method of preparing tea involves steeping loose tea leaves in a teapot and straining them into a cup, a practice that became common in Europe following the introduction of tea by Chinese traders. An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the 3rd century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It first became known to the western world through Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the early 16th century. Drinking tea became popular in Britain during the 17th century. To compete with the Chinese monopoly on tea, the British East India Company introduced commercial tea production to British India.