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The Chinese have many versions of how tea was discovered, originating in different regions but essentially sharing many similarities.

One such account says tea was discovered five thousand years ago by an Emperor, the God of Agriculture, who is said to have had the head of an ox and the body of a man. In 2737 BC, Shennong was boiling a cauldron of water when, carried by the hot air from the fire, burning leaves of a tea twig were dropped into the water. Shennong tasted the liquid and discovered it was an antidote against the poisonous effects of many herbs.

Throughout history, tea has played a significant role in wedding ceremonies. In the Ming Dynasty, a bride would drink tea as a sign of fidelity when she accepted a marriage proposal. It was believed once tea tree seeds were planted, the plant could not be moved.

Even today, tea is still viewed as an important part of the engagement and wedding ceremony in China.

Drinking tea in China today would be a different experience depending on which part of the country you visited. The types of tea served vary from Jasmine in northern China, to unscented green tea in parts of the south or south-east. Each region also has its own utensils and teahouses; some located high up in mountain tea fields, while others are quiet oases in the middle of bustling cities.

China is the world’s largest tea producer, producing over 1.3 million tonnes of tea in 2009.

Chinese tea recipe

Herb tea with a zing. To cleanse your palate, digestive system and mind.

Serves 4

1 large Zero Japan Tea Pot required

Ingredients:

• 1 litre filtered, boiled water, cooled for 30 seconds
• 2- 3 tspn of camomile buds or flowers (available from health food stores)
• 1 stem lemongrass, white section only, very thinly sliced
• 2cm fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• honey, to serve, optional

Method:

• Pour a little boiled water into the Zero Japan tea pot and swirl to warm the pot. Discard the water.
• Place the infuser into the pot and add the camomile, lemongrass and ginger. Pour in the boiled water and cover. Set aside to steep for 3 - 5 minutes.
• Serve with a little honey, if desired.

Hints:

• When boiling the water for green tea or herb teas, allow water to cool for 30 seconds before pouring over the tea. If the water is too hot it will burn the tea or flowers.
• Place the infuser into the pot and add the camomile, lemongrass and ginger. Pour in the boiled water and cover. Set aside to steep for 3 - 5 minutes.
• Allow to steep for 3-5 minutes, depending on taste.
• As Zero Japan tea pots are well insulated, a tea cosy is not required to keep the pot warm.

The British were relative late-comers to tea; it didn’t appear in England until the mid-17th century. A Portuguese Princess, Catherine of Braganza, arrived in Britain to marry King Charles II—and brought her love of tea with her. The East India Company began to import tea into Britain in 1664, but it was only accessible to the upper classes as it was so heavily taxed. This sparked many plots to smuggle tea, to the point where more tea was being smuggled into Britain than was being legally imported! The government eventually slashed the high tax.

The great British tradition, afternoon tea, is thought to have originated with Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. In the early 1800s, she began having tea in the late afternoon in a bid to avoid a ‘sinking feeling’ between lunch and dinner, as dinner was often not held until 9 ‘o’ clock at night. This custom became fashionable and soon evolved into High Tea among the working classes.

The tea bag was actually invented by an American in 1908. A tea merchant started sending samples to customers in small silken bags. Instead of emptying the tea leaves from the bags as intended, many customers mistakenly put the entire bag into the pot. The British clung to their traditional methods until after World War II, when the convenience of tea bags won out for many.

Today, the British drink 165 million cups of tea every day!

The perfect ‘English-style’ cuppa recipe

There are traditional techniques and tips to serving the perfect cup of tea…..but it all begins with a beautiful ceramic tea pot!

Serves 4

1 large Zero Japan Tea Pot required

Ingredients:

• 1 litre filtered, boiled water
• 4-5 tspn of your favourite large leaf black tea
• milk or lemon slices, to serve
• sugar, to serve, optional

Method:

• Pour a little boiled water into the Zero Japan tea pot and swirl to warm the pot. Discard the water.
• Place the infuser into the pot and add the tea. Pour in the hot water and cover. Set aside to steep for 3 - 5 minutes.
• Serve with a dash of milk and sugar to taste or simply with lemon slices.

Hints:

• Boil the water vigorously and pour into the pot quickly. Black leaf tea needs the water to be as hot as possible.
• Allow to steep for 3-5 minutes, depending on taste.
• As Zero Japan tea pots are well insulated, a cosy is not required to keep the pot warm.
• When to add milk… before or after the tea? Historically, there are many tales, but it is believed the milk was added first so the hot tea would not crack the fine china cup!

India's legend claims Prince Bodhi Dharma discovered tea. Bodhi Dharma was in the practice of wall gazing (meditation) in a northern Chinese kingdom where he faced a wall for nine years, not speaking or sleeping the entire time. After many years, he was overcome with exhaustion. He picked up some leaves from a nearby tree and began to chew on them. The properties of the tea tree allowed him to continue on his way and keep his vow.

Historically, most people say there was no tea in India until the British East India Company smuggled seeds in from China; though it is believed the origin of the tea bush is in the region where India, China and Burma meet in the Himalayas.

It was a deterioration of relations between China and England in the First Opium War that helped kick-start the tea industry in India. The first commercial harvest was sold to London in 1838 to high reviews from tea experts. Tea plantations were established in the regions of Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

Today, India is the second largest producer of tea, while Sri Lanka is the fourth largest tea producing area in the world.

Indian chai tea recipe

Milky, warm and spiced! Traditionally, Indian chai is served following a meal or for a mid afternoon refresher.

Serves 4

1 large Zero Japan Tea Pot required

Ingredients:

• 500ml filtered water
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken
• 8 whole cardamom pods, bruised
• 8 cloves
• good pinch nutmeg
• 4 tspn sugar
• 400ml milk (full cream, skim, soy or rice milk)
• 4 tspn loose black tea
• honey, optional

Method:

• Place the water, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg into a medium sized saucepan. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and milk and bring back to the boil.
• Pour a little boiled water in the Zero Japan tea pot and swirl to warm the pot. Discard the water.
• Place the infuser into the pot and add the tea. Pour the hot spiced milk slowly into the pot and cover. Set aside to steep for 2 - 3 minutes.

Serve immediately with honey, if desired, in small ceramic cups.

What size pot?
Use an amount of water in proportion with the tea. Normally 3 cups of boiling water is suitable for 3 - 4 teaspoons of loose tea. This can be increased or decreased according to taste.

The Japanese legend of tea is about Bodhi Dharma, who, at the end of three years meditation, fell asleep and dreamed of all the women he had ever loved. When he woke up, he became furious at himself for his weakness. In his fury, he ripped off his eyelids and buried them. Many years later he returned to that place and discovered his eyelids had grown into a bush. He took leaves from the bush and chewed them, finding that they could keep his eyes open.

Outside of legend, it's believed the first tea in Japan was brought from China in the form of a teacake. Some believe the Buddhist priest Yeisei, the 'Father of Tea', brought the first tea seeds to Japan. Tea was a drink of the religious classes. It became the drink of the royal classes after an emperor encouraged the importation of tea seeds and cultivation of tea plants. The tea was introduced to the warrior class as an alternative to alcohol, and it became popular among Shogun.

The tea ceremony is an important part of Japanese culture, with the standards set in around the 15th century. It captures the essence of philosophy and beauty, interweaving the values of humility, respect, restraint, simplicity, harmony, purity and tranquillity. The full ceremony can last for around four hours and includes a full meal. Every aspect of the ceremony is chosen especially for the event, from the flowers to the tea ware. Becoming a Tea Master is a lifetime pursuit.

The perfect subtle Japanese green tea recipe

In Japan, tea drinking is part of the culinary heritage. The quality of the water and tea used is the secret to perfection. Follow these steps to success and enjoy the subtle, clean flavour of perfectly made Japanese green tea.

Serves 4

1 large Zero Japan tea pot required

Ingredients:

• 1 litre filtered, boiled water, cooled for 45 seconds
• 3 tspn of the best quality green tea (available from specialty tea stores)

Method:

• Pour a little boiled water into the Zero Japan tea pot and swirl to warm the pot. Discard the water.
• Place the infuser into the pot and add the tea. Pour in the boiled water and cover. Set aside to steep for 2 minutes. Serve in ceramic Japanese tea cups.
• Iced tea: Remove the infuser (with the used tea leaves) and allow tea to cool completely. Serve over ice.

Hints:

• When boiling the water for green tea, allow to cool for 45 seconds before pouring over the tea. If the water is too hot it will burn the delicate tea.
• Increase or reduce the green tea proportion, depending on taste.
• Green tea is generally only allowed to steep for a short amount of time.
• As Zero Japan tea pots are well insulated, a cosy is not required to keep the pot warm.