History of tea

HISTORY OF TEA

I: The tea and its first use

II: Globalisation of tea

III:The use of tea now

I: We know that the tea first appeared in China, where it was used as a medicinal drink. The tea is known for its goods, scientists say that if you drink 6 cups of tea a day, you will have less risks to have heart diseases. It also prevents the colon cancer, or diabete's and parkinson's... Of course, it helps you to stay hydrated, to keep your body healthy, hydratation is very important. There are differents forms of teas, The most known are the green and black teas, the green tea helps muscles endurance, and is full of antioxydants. It's mostly cultivated in Sri Lanka, but was first used in China. It's made of roasted leaves. The black tea is also from China, and it's cultivated world wide, in Sri Lanka, or in Darjeeling... It's made with young leaves. The Pu-erh tea is from China, it's made from the older leaves, used to ferment the tea. Lots of connoisseurs collect well-aged tea, as wine collectors. The white tea is from China, it's a very fresh tea, very delicate.It's not very processed. The Oolong Tea is semi oxidized, and was first cultivated in China and Taiwan. The large and mature leaves are picked, rolled, oxized, fired.

The black tea is generally the one people love most, followed by the green tea, the white tea and the oolong tea.

II: The globalisation of tea started in the 16th century, when the portuguese discovered it in China. They brought it to Italia, and in the 17th century, Britain brought it to India, to compete with China. From this started a real market of tea, which was a very popular drink. But a man called Lipton made it even more popular. Who was this Lipton, you'll ask me. Sir Lipton was born in 1850 in Scotland and was from humble origins. As he was young, he wanted to become a business man, but ended up as a cabin boy, job he finally didn't keep, contrary to his love of the sea, the ships and sailors. He went to New York as he was 15, and worked in tobacco fields, rice plantations and finally in a grocery store where he learned the secrets of being a good seller. In 1869, he went back to Scotland, where he worked in his parents' shop. At age 21 he oppened his own shop, where he does everything to catch the customer's attention, starting by buying from farmers he knew. His shop was everything to him, and by 1882 he oppened others. At age 40, he was very rich and successful, and he wanted to open a new shop every week. He someday got interested in tea, which was very expensive at the time, even if it was very popular. He wanted to make people see tea differently, and started buying tea to farmers. After a year, he was a great tea seller. He took the decision to try to abolish the middlemen and their profits, so he could control the tea production. He went to Australia to visit the plantations himself.

In 1878, the tea production increased and as he was using Ceylon tea, there was less distance between him and his plantations, so he could pay less for his tea.

At the time, he owned 5 plantations, which produced the best and fresher tea.

His 300 shops were not enough for the tea demand, and Lipton realized that the tea he sold rent him more money than his shops, he already was a millionaire, but thanks to his tea trade he became a billionaire.

Lipton introduced his tea to American population, which confirmed his power in trade.

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