"Humans make their own history, though under circumstances influenced by the past."
~ Karl Marx (1818-1883)
I found history classes tedious and boring during my elementary and secondary education. Perhaps it was the topics covered, the teacher's method, or simply that the particular history taught did not capture my interest then.
It's funny how tea has added flavor to life and allowed me to see the other side of things that once seemed dull and even pointless. Sometimes I think that if my past self met me now, they would struggle to recognize me; however, this is part of my personal story and development. Not everything makes sense, and sometimes we end up like Christopher Columbus, thinking we're heading to India and landing in Honduras instead.
This randomness applies to everyone's history, including tea. In the last issue of Sagas and Tales, we discussed Shennong, one of the many legends surrounding tea. This time, instead of focusing on an iconic figure in tea, we'll explore how a particular event in a specific dynasty allowed us to have one of the six types of tea we enjoy today.
From the time of Shennong, tea had a "medicinal" origin, a theme that echoes even today. However, this medicinal aspect is somewhat controversial and will be discussed in detail later in The Chemistry of Flavor.
Han Dynasty
Tea began its first centers of production fueled by consumption and sales among the population during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). Cartwright and Maceda (2017) state that the achievements of the Han Dynasty earned it the title of "golden age" in Chinese culture, as the people of this period are regarded as scholars with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a relentless drive for intellectual inquiry. Among the dynasty's achievements was the development of the Silk Road trade network.
Tang Dynasty
Mark et al. (2016) mention that the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) is also considered a "golden age," but unlike the Han Dynasty, one of the most notable aspects of the Tang era was its imperial strength. The brilliance of this period lay in its reforms and cultural advances, which serve as the foundation for many of the policies seen in modern China. Tea became a trend during this era, as it was accepted and adopted by various religions and sects, giving it a more spiritual meaning and even establishing tea rituals. For example, Japan's Sadō or Chadō philosophy, with its principles of Wa (Harmony), Kei (Respect), Sei (Purity), and Jaku (Tranquility), leads to the concept of Ichi-go Ichi-e ("This meeting, only this occasion").
Song Dynasty
The last two dynasties were formidable, influencing tea, an entire culture, and its people. The difference with the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) is that it focused more on its people and culture, neglecting military matters somewhat. Cartwright and Rossabi (2017) claim that the Song Dynasty enabled China to make significant advances in production efficiency. Literature also flourished during this period, giving birth to works such as The Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government. Tea wasn't left behind either—Petroni (2017) argues that the Song Dynasty marked the peak of tea culture, as Emperor Hui (1082 - 1135) wrote the famous tea treatise Da Guan Cha Lu, which can be seen as a detailed guide on the tea ceremony of that time, where the primary tool for preparing tea was a brush. These practices were later transferred to Japan, where they were perfected and adopted as part of their own rituals.
Ming Dynasty
Petroni (2017) mentions that the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) saw substantial changes in tea practices, leading to a return to simplicity, such as shifting from powdered tea to loose-leaf tea or Emperor Chu Yuan Chang's edict allowing tea leaves to be presented as tribute instead of tea cakes (Pu erh).
This is the dynasty where something unfortunate happened, but instead of being seen as purely negative, it was viewed as an opportunity, paving the way for what we now know as black tea.
The following story was taken from Eighty Degrees magazine in an excerpt written by Catherine Yung.
Yung and Eighty Degrees (n.d.):
Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), China went through an unstable period interwoven with wars. Legend has it that one day, during the tea-plucking season, a troop from the north entered the village of Tong Mu. They spent the night in a tea factory and used the bags full of tea leaves as mattresses to sleep on. After the troops left next day, the tea farmer discovered that all the leaves had turned red, which at that time was considered to signal their ruin.
The farmer didn't want to waste the spoilt material and decided to process the leaves anyway. He rolled them up, pan fried them in an iron wok, and roasted them with burning pinewood. The tea leaves turned black and shiny, and their infusion was a coppery red color with the fragrance of smoked pine and tropical longan fruit. The result was completely different from green tea, which was the mainstream variety in China at the time. The farmer took it to market and sold it at an extremely low price. Since the tea was black in color, the locals called it wucha, meaning "black tea". Unexpectedly for the farmer, it turned out to be very popular; merchants were outbinding each other to buy the whole crop next year.
There are no precise records of the exact time when black tea was created. However, historical documents show that the Dutch East India Company was trading black teas from China to Europe as early as 1610.
Sometimes we plan everything out, expecting perfect results, but when adversity knocks at our door, instead of seeing it as a wall that blocks our way, we should view it as a possible shortcut. While it may seem more complicated initially, it could lead us to the goldmine we've been searching for.
Satoricha ~
References
Cartwright, M., & Macedo, G. (2017, Septiembre 14). Logros de la dinastía Han - Enciclopedia de la Historia del Mundo. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 12, 2024, from https://www.worldhistory.org/trans/es/2-1119/logros-de-la-dinastia-han/
Cartwright, M., & Rossabi, M. (2017, September 26). Song Dynasty. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 12, 2024, from https://www.worldhistory.org/Song_Dynasty/
Mark, E., Blake, J., & Grill, E. S. (2016, Febrero 28). Dinastía Tang - Enciclopedia de la Historia del Mundo. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 12, 2024, from https://www.worldhistory.org/trans/es/1-13980/dinastia-tang/
Petroni, F. (2017). Sommelier De Tes. Degustis.
Yung, C., & Eighty Degrees. (n.d.). The Leyend of Black Tea. Eighty °, 6, 142.
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