The History of Tea

Steeped in Adventure: The Global Voyage of Tea.

No good boat galley would be without a solid stash of tea. It’s a fascinating story, complete with tales of drug dealing, industrial espionage, and cultural significance…

Camellia sinensis

The leaves that are dried and used for tea come from the Camellia plant. All 3,000 varieties that exist today can be traced back to one, Camellia sinensis. Originating in Southeast Asia, this evergreen plant can grow up to six metres tall but is typically pruned to waist height in tea plantations. The pruned plants form a flat top or “plucking table,” making it easier for workers to pick the leaves. Once picked, the leaves are wilted, rolled, and left to ferment for a few days before being fired at a high temperature. Depending on the plant variety and growing region, the resulting tea can vary significantly in flavour. Many commercial teas are a blend of different varieties.

2nd Century BCE

Tea most likely originated in China around the 2nd Century BCE as a medicinal drink. Although records of tea consumption are ancient, the word ‘tea’ didn’t appear until the 8th Century CE. With Chinese philosophers declaring tea a vital ingredient to the elixir of life, its popularity grew. Tea leaves were compressed into bricks to aid transportation, which became so valuable they were even used as currency.

19th Century

Portuguese princess Catherine de Braganza introduced tea to Britain in the mid-1600s, sparking a national obsession. By the 1800s, when the age of sail and global trade made tea a staple, Britain was importing vast quantities from China.

The British East India Company (the largest importer of tea into Britain at the time) faced a trade imbalance as China accepted little besides silver – or opium grown in British-controlled territories like Pakistan. This imbalance led to tension and ultimately played a role in the infamous Opium Wars. Desperate to reduce reliance on Chinese tea, the British East India Company sent Scottish botanist Robert Fortune to China in 1848 to smuggle tea plants and knowledge out of the country. Fortune’s mission succeeded in part – while the stolen plants struggled in northern India, his insights contributed to the later success of tea production in Assam and Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, this expansion was built on exploitative labour practices, a darker legacy of the tea trade’s colonial connections.

Da-Hong Pao Tea

Today, the global tea market is worth around $260 billion annually, with tea cultivated in as many as 65 countries – including Great Britain. Da-Hong Pao tea is a prized choice for those seeking the ultimate in luxury. This dark, heavily oxidised oolong tea comes from ancient and rare trees.  It holds the record for the highest tea price selling for $1.2 million per kilogram.

For a more practical brew in your boat’s galley, Williamson Tea offers a rather pleasant “LifeBoat Tea,” perfect for those calmer moments at sea or after a busy day on deck.

Reflection

Tea’s history is rich, complex, and often uncomfortable. While it’s easy to romanticise the charm of afternoon tea or the comfort of a warm brew on a cold day, the darker side of tea’s past should not be forgotten. The global spread of tea is deeply intertwined with colonial expansion, economic manipulation, and the exploitation of labourers. The British Empire’s aggressive tactics – from the opium trade to the exploitation of workers on tea plantations – left scars that remain in some communities today. As we sip our brews, it’s important to reflect on these global journeys – both positive and negative – and to appreciate the cultural exchange, resilience, and human effort behind every cup. Understanding tea’s full history allows us to savour it not just as a drink, but as a reminder of past struggles and the power of connection it continues to foster across the world.

Related Article:  The Cutty Sark

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