Natural philosophers discovered many new plants which they collected and used for medicines or for general consumption. Tea came to Europe in the late sixteenth century during the Age of Discovery, a time of extensive overseas exploration. Over time, tea was no longer restricted to medicinal use and was also generally consumed as a beverage. Other plant substances were added, including onion, ginger, orange or peppermint with different infusions believed to have unique medicinal properties. Different preparations emerged, with increasing oxidation producing darker teas ranging from white to green to black. During the T’ang dynasty between the seventh to tenth centuries, tea drinking was particularly popular. Tea was thought of as a medicinal drink until the late sixth century. This was considered a highly valued skill in China and to be unable to make tea well and with elegance was deemed a disgrace. The book describes the mythological origins of tea, as well as its horticultural and medicinal properties, and contains prolific instructions on the practice and etiquette of making tea. The earliest known treatise on tea is ‘Ch’a Ching’ or ‘The Classic of Tea,’ written by the Chinese writer Lu Yu. Regardless of the truth behind the legends, tea has played a pivotal role in Asian culture for centuries. Where they fell, a tree with eyelid-shaped leaves took root: the first tea tree. Outraged by his weakness, he cut off his own eyelids and threw them to the ground. During a pilgrimage to China, he vowed to meditate non-stop for nine years but inevitably fell asleep. Shennong tried the infusion and was pleased by its flavour and restorative properties.Ī more gruesome Indian legend attributes the discovery of tea to the Buddha. Shennong was resting under the shade of a Camellia sinensis tree, boiling water to drink when dried leaves from the tree floated into the water pot, changing the water’s colour. Legend states that the very first cup of tea was drunk in 2737BC by the Chinese emperor Shennong, believed to be the creator of Chinese medicine. Originating in China, where it was thought to have medicinal properties, tea’s history is closely intertwined with the history of botany and herbal medicine. But tea has endured a tumultuous journey to reach its status as the nation’s favourite beverage. As a nation, we have been drinking it for over 350 years. "As for your father's good-humoured jests being ever taken up as a serious affair, it really is like raising a storm in a teacup.Nothing says Britain quite like a cup of tea. "What is the 'tempest raging o'er the realms of ice'? A tempest in a teapot!" - Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, 1825 Also, the English language has seen multiple variations over time such as "a storm in a cream bowl" (The Duke of Ormond, 1678) and "a storm in a wash-basin" ( The Gentleman's Magazine, 1830).Īs for where the "English" and "American" versions originated - the earliest references to both are found in Scotland: uk has strong opinions on this topic, pointing out that Cicero's ladle predates American teapots and British teacups so neither can be seen as the first. Is one right and the other wrong? Which came first? In Britain storm in a teacup rules, while in the USA there are tempests in teapots. Then there are those who favor teacups, such as Tamil and Korean which both find typhoons in teacups, and Chinese that apparently covers both bases with winds and waves in teacups, and storms in teapots.Īs for Britain and the USA. Others reduce the size of the vessel even further, such as Yiddish where there are squalls in spoons of water, and Greek where one drowns in a spoon of water. Some talk of storms in cups (including Arabic and Bengali), others refer to storms in glasses of water (including French and Dutch). The imagery of weather and a small container representing a minor event magnified out of all proportion can be found in many languages. ![]() The first known use is by Marcus Tullius Cicero around 52BC, who in De Legibus (The Laws) wrote excitabat enim fluctus in simpulo ut dicitur Gratidius (for Gratidius raised a tempest in a ladle, as the saying is). Variations on this expression can be found in a great many languages and far back in time. An over reaction that is out of all proportion to a minor event Background:
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