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A Brief History of Tea
The Legendary Origins of Tea:
The story of tea began in 2737BC in ancient China. According to legend, Shen Nung, an early
emperor was a skilled ruler, creative scientist and patron of the arts. His far-sighted edicts
required, among other things, that all drinking water be boiled as a hygienic precaution.
One summer day while visiting a distant region of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. In
accordance with his ruling, the servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves
from the nearby bush fell into the boiling water, and a brown liquid was infused into the water. As a
scientist, the Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing
and cleansing to the body's systems. He ordered that the plant be cultivated thought out China.
And so, according to legend, tea was created. (This myth maintains such a practical narrative, that
many mythologists believe it may relate closely to the actual events now lost in ancient history.)
In view of the Emperor's findings, tea was used as a medicinal beverage for thousands of years
before becoming used as a social and refreshment beverage.
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