Kenya is an equatorial country famous for its coffee production. However, Kenya is also one of the world's leading tea producing countries.

In this article, I’m going to introduce the history of tea making in Kenya.

The history of tea in Kenya

Kenya, like India and Sri Lanka, was a former British colony.

The history of tea in Kenya is surprisingly short, and tea cultivation started in the early 1900s.

Let's take a look at the history of tea cultivation in Kenya.

Origins of tea cultivation in Kenya

Tea was first brought to Kenya from England in 1903, and the cultivated variety was Assam originally from India.

Kenya’s rich soil and favorable climate conditions for tea cultivation made it a promising tea growing area.

However, it was only after Kenya gained independence from Britain that commercial tea cultivation started in Kenya. This is because, during the colonial period, it was not allowed for individuals to grow tea freely in Kenya.

Within 50 years of its liberation from Britain, Kenya's tea industry had grown rapidly and became one of the world's leading tea producing regions, after India and Sri Lanka.

Tea making in Kenya today

Currently, Kenya has about 140,000 hectares of tea under cultivation, producing 320,000 tons of tea annually.

Also, when the production and distribution industries of tea are included, the number of people involved in tea production is about 4 million, which is 10% of the total population.

It’s easy to see why Kenya remains one of the world's leading tea producing countries today.

Expansion into East Africa

With the success of the tea industry in Kenya, tea production has spread to East African countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.

The largest exporting country of these countries is the United Kingdom.

For example, 90% of the tea produced in Malawi and 80% in Mozambique is exported to the UK.

India is one of the world's leading tea producing countries.

In fact, the history of tea was established against the background of British colonial policy.

In this article, I’m going to introduce the history of tea in India.

The history of tea in India

India is famous for the origin of black teas such as Darjeeling and Assam.

In this section, I will introduce the history of tea in India in chronological order.

East India Company's trade monopoly and the Opium War

In order to understand the history of tea in India, it is necessary to first give a brief description of the situation in England at the time.

Around the 17 century, the Dutch brought tea to Europe, and since then tea has boomed in Britain as a simple pastime.

In England at that time, tea was enjoyed by a wide range of people from court nobles to common people.

Its popularity was so great that tea caused two wars.

The first was the Anglo-Dutch Wars, which arose due out of a backlash against the Netherlands having monopolized the trading rights of Chinese tea.

The East India Company won an exclusive trading right to import tea from China.

However, the demand for tea in Britain had rapidly increased and there was a significant trade imbalance with China, which was importing tea. It triggered the famous Opium War.

Realizing that the supply of tea would no longer be met solely through imports from China, Britain decided to cultivate tea in its own colony, India.

Discovery of Assam cultivars and development of plantation agriculture

The reason why the British were able to venture into tea cultivation in India was the discovery of a new tea tree called “Assam cultivar” in the 19th century.

In fact, Britain had previously attempted to transplant Chinese tea to India, but was repeatedly frustrated because the Chinese cultivars did not match the Indian climate.

Under these circumstances, the discovery of the Assam cultivar suitable for Indian climate led to the development of large-scale plantation agriculture in various regions of India.

Also, as tea cultivation developed in India, it was discovered in 1841 that Chinese cultivars grow in the Darjeeling region.

As India was able to produce two types of tea, its exports have grown rapidly and it became known as a Tea Country.

Assam and Darjeeling, which are famous cultivars of tea even today, were born against the background of British colonial rule.

The Origin of Chai

India became one of the world’s largest tea producers as a result of British colonial policies, but good tea was still a “for export” commodity and was not available to the Indian people.

Therefore, among the people of India, “Chai” came to be a regular drink.

Chai was originally made from the scum of green tea leaves, but the scum is too bitter to drink.

So the Indians drank tea brewed from the scum of tea leaves mixed with sugar or milk to make it taste better.

Thus, Chai gradually became popular among Indians and became a national drink in India.

Nowadays, Chai is found on the Starbucks drink menu and is loved not only in India but all over the world.

In recent years, Taiwan has been attracting attention due to the boom of tapioca milk tea.

In this article, I’m going to explain the history of tea in Taiwan in detail.

The history of tea in Taiwan

Let’s take a look at the history of tea in Taiwan in chronological order.

Origin of tea in Taiwan

It is said that tea was first introduced to Taiwan around 1796 when Taiwan was under the rule of the Qing Dynasty.

It was the beginning of Taiwanese tea when a Chinese merchant named Kacho brought to Taiwan oolong tea seedlings from Fujian Province.

In 1862, a leader from Fujian Province introduced method of tea production, and began making tea in Chinese style.

Expansion of Taiwanese tea

Taiwanese tea expanded rapidly with the support of John Dot, an English man.

In 1865, he established a trading company called “Bao Shun” in Tanshui, Taiwan, and brought large quantities of tea plants and seeds from Fujian, China.

Then, he established a system in which he loaned it to farmers around the country and bought the tea leaves again after harvesting.

In 1866, Taiwanese tea leaves exported to the United States and Australia via Fujian Province in China.

Taiwanese tea, which is of high quality and has gained particular popularity in the United States, began to be exported under the name “Formosa Tea” (Tea on the beautiful island) in 1969.

Taiwan also began exporting its tea to the United Kingdom in 1972, expanding its sales channels gradually.

Influence of Nittoh Black Tea

Nittoh Black Tea is a famous Japanese brand that has been popular in Japan for a long time.

However, Nittoh Black Tea was originally produced in Taiwan.

I will describe the influence that Japan had on the tea industry in Taiwan during the War.

Promotion of Taiwan tea industry

With Japan's victory in the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Taiwan came under Japanese rule.

In 1903, it was decided to set up a testing site for tea as part of its governance policy, to further promote the tea industry in Taiwan.

Entry of Mitsui Gomei Kaisha

Mitsui Gomei was one of the companies that entered Taiwan soon after the start of Japanese rule.In 1908, the company established a branch in Taiwan to introduced the British method of mass production of tea.

Mitsui, which has played a central role in Taiwan's tea industry, set up tea factories one after another in such places as Dairiao, Daxi and Miaoli.

The company began full-scale tea production in 1924, and selling canned “Mitsui Black Tea” and (later renamed “Nitto Black Tea”) in Taiwan.

After that, Nitto Black Tea came to be consumed by middle class and above people in Japan and gradually became recognized as a Japan’s tea brand.

After liberation from Japanese occupation, Taiwan Agriculture and Forestry took over all facilities and capital of the tea industry.

Of course, the domination of Taiwan by the war is unforgivable, but it is true that Mitsui’s business is the foundation of the tea industry in Taiwan.

Modern times

The tea industry is still thriving in Taiwan, and oolong tea and black tea are highly valued around the world.

This is because Taiwanese tea is grown on a slope 600-800 meters above sea level, and has s unique aroma.

One of the attractions of Taiwanese tea is that we can enjoy a wide variety of tea.

Various types of black tea are grown, including:

• Taiwanese Tea No.7, Taicha No. 8 (suitable for milk tea)
• Taiwanese Tea No.18 (cinnamon and mint fragrance)
• Taiwanese Tea No.22 (floral fragrance)
• Taiwanese Tea No.23 (refreshing aroma like lemon or yuzu)

Among them, Taiwanese Tea No.18 is favored by Westerners, while No.23 is favored by young people.

As more varieties are developed to attract new customers, Taiwan’s tea industry is expected to continue to develop.

Tea is also a popular luxury in Europe and the United States, and in the past there were even wars over its import and export.

In this article, I will explain the history of tea in Europe and the United States in detail, from the introduction of tea to modern tea consumption habits.

The history of Tea in Europe and the United States

Let's take a look at the history of tea in Europe and the US along a timeline.

The introduction of tea

Tea was first introduced to Europe from China in 1610, and it was the Dutch “East India Company” that brought it back.

Europe has an image of black tea, but it was not black tea that was first introduced but green tea.

However, when tea was first introduced, it was considered to be a luxury product that only the upper class enjoyed.

Tea was introduced to England from the Netherlands, and created a big boom among the aristocracy.

Expansion and Decline of the East India Company

The Dutch East India Company had an exclusive trade with the rest of Europe, including monopolizing trade with Southeast Asia, China, Japan.

Therefore in Europe at that time, products from East and Southeast Asia such as tea could only be obtained through the Netherlands.

The East India Company, which monopolized trade, seemed to be making a lot of profit, but it gradually lost its momentum due to internal improprieties and the war against the UK over tea.

In the 18th century, the power of the UK became even stronger and the Netherlands had no choice but to dissolve the East India Company.

The Opium War and the beginning of the plantation

Tea from the Netherlands became very popular in the UK in the 18 and 19th centuries.

The UK, which became the largest tea consumer in Europe, would import large quantities of tea from China.

At that time, the UK was paying for silver in exchange for tea, but the trade imbalance gradually increased and the inflow of silver from the UK became very large.

The UK was dissatisfied with this and decided to sell opium to China as a countermeasure.

As a result, opium was widespread in China, and the country was in trouble.

The Chinese dynasty set out to ban opium imports and crack down on smuggling, but the UK countered by force.

This was the famous “Opium War”.

In the end, Britain won the war and would demand from China the price of the opium it had confiscated and a large amount of reparations.

The beginning of the plantation

At first the UK relied on Chinese exports for most of its tea it consumed, but in the 1830s it began growing tea in its colony, India.

The reason for this was the discovery of tea trees in the Assam region of India.

By the way, the name of Assam tea which is a cultivar of black tea that is popular even today, comes from this Indian name.

As a result, high-quality tea has been cultivated in India that it fetched the highest price at an auction held in London in 1839.

The Assam Corporation, the plantation-based tea production company was launched under the auspices of the British government.

In addition to the Assam region, plantations have been developed in a wide range of states, including Bihar and Bengal.

Especially, the tea grown in Darjeeling, West Bengal, is famous even today.

Modern tea consumption habits

Historically, tea has been so popular in Europe and the US that wars broke out over its import and export.

It's true that tea is still very popular today, and if you look at the top 10 consumption of tea in the world, you'll see that Western countries such as the UK and the US are also ranked.

Although tea was originally just a luxury item, in recent years there has been a trend to capture tea from a different angle.

For example, it is a hot topic that Gyokuro and Sencha (steeped green tea) are sold at Starbucks Coffee in the United States because of their health benefits.

As evidenced by the 6.5 fold increase in tea exports from Japan to the US from 2000 to 2014, the habit of consuming tea as a healthy food has taken root in many people.

As you can see, tea is a drink that transcends time and borders and continues to be loved around the world.

China is the world's No. 1 country in terms of tea production and consumption.

In this article, I’m going to introduce the history of tea in China along a chronological line.

The history of tea in China

Let's take a look at the history of tea in China along a timeline.

Tang Dynasty (618-907)

The custom of drinking tea spread throughout China during the Tang Dynasty.

However, the common people were unable to drink tea, which was a luxury item, and it was generally recognized as a present to the emperor or a drink for the aristocracy.

It is said that the mainstream of tea at that time was solid tea called “Heicha”.

Heicha is a kind of tea made by solidifying steamed tea leaves. You can drink it by putting it in hot water after roasting it with fire.

By the way, Heicha was first introduced to Japan through Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty.

Origin of Chakyo (Tea Sutra)

Also during the Tang Dynasty, the oldest book on tea in the world, Chakyo (Tea Sutra) was written.

The author of Chakyo was a literary man, Rikuu, who is said to be the originator of the tea ceremony.

In this book, he wrote all kinds of information related to tea such as the origin, production method, history and production area.

Also, he wrote that tea is not just a beverage, but is described as “should be drunk by a man of virtue”.

Song Dynasty (960-1279)

In the Song Dynasty, not only aristocrats and government officials but also the wealthy common people started to drink tea.

In this period, the production method of Heicha, which was mainstream in the Tang Dynasty, became a little complicated and came to be called “Dancha”.

Also, it was around this time that the culture of “Tocha (tea ceremony)” which was practiced in Japan from the Kamakura to the Muromachi periods, began to flourish.

Tocha is a kind of game to determine the origin and quality of the tea by drinking it.

Development of tea utensils

In the Song Dynasty, tea utensils began to be recognized as an important tool for the enjoyment of tea.

This led to the development of technologies for making white porcelain to enjoy the color of tea, and celadon porcelain to enjoy the color of containers.

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

In the Ming Dynasty, tea became even more popular, and not only the rich but also the common people began to drink tea.

Dancha required time and effort to produce and its taste was not so good.

In the Ming Dynasty, the tea called Sancha was made by crushing the tea leaves into small pieces with a mortar or other tool.

It is said that Sancha had become popular because the taste and aroma have greatly improved compared to Dancha.

Until the Ming Dynasty, kyusu (teapots) were mainly made of iron or silver, but in this period, ceramic kyusu were made and used.

The Qing Dynasty (1616-1912)

The Qing Dynasty was the most prosperous of tea in Chinese history.

Oolong tea, which is familiar to us today, was developed in Fujian Province during this period.

It also gave birth to a culture of taking time to enjoy tea with a focus on tea utensils.

Here I will introduce some of the tea culture and historical backgrounds of the Qing Dynasty.

Formation of various ways to enjoy tea

In the Qing Dynasty, people enjoyed tea in various ways.

Specialty tea was produced in various regions, and six major teas (blue tea, Chinese black tea, green tea, black tea, white tea, and yellow tea) were sold in the market.

In addition, it seems that the preferred tea in each region was different.

People in Zhejiang and Jiangsu preferred to drink green tea, while people in the northern region preferred to drink flower tea.

Export of tea to England

One of the characteristics of the Qing Dynasty was the mass production of black tea.

Especially after the Qing Dynasty allowed European countries to start trade in 1685, a large amount of tea was exported to other countries.

England was its largest trading partner, and for the Qing, tea was a great means of obtaining silver.

However, while England imported a large amount of tea, China did not import much from England, creating a significant trade imbalance.

So England tried to recover the silver by selling opium to China, which triggered the famous “Opium War”.

In this way, China at that time was proud of its tea production so much that the domestic situation was affected by the tea.

Modern times

In modern China, tea is popular as a national drink.

Both production and consumption are the highest in the world, and today’s China can be said to be a “Tea Country”.

“The most popular tea in China is not oolong tea or jasmine tea, but green tea.” says Wang Jing of Osaka University, Depatment of Tourism.

Chinese green tea differs from Japanese tea in that it is roasted in an iron pot without being steamed, so it has a simple taste than Japanese tea.

Sri Lanka is the birthplace of the world-famous Ceylon Tea.

In this article, I’m going to introduce the history of tea in Sri Lanka.

The history of tea in Sri Lanka

The history of tea making in Sri Lanka began with the British colonial policies.

I will introduce the history of tea making in Sri Lanka along the time line.

Was it once a major place for coffee?

Sri Lanka is now well known for its tea production, but it was originally known as one of the world's leading coffee producing regions.

This is because the Netherlands, which at the time had a major influence in Europe, had been cultivating coffee in Sri Lanka since 1658 as part of its colonial policy.

The tropical climate of Sri Lanka made it a great place to grow coffee because coffee can only be grown where there is a lot of rain and sunshine.

As a result, the amount of coffee produced in Sri Lanka increased rapidly.

By the 19th century, Sri Lanka had grown into a major coffee producing region, ranking the first in the world in terms of coffee exports.

The end of coffee farming and the beginning of tea production

Initially Sri Lanka was ruled by the Netherlands, but in 1802, the country was changed to Great Britain.

Even after that, coffee farming flourished in Sri Lanka, but in 1868, the “rust disease” spread to the coffee plantations.

Rust disease is a kind of infectious disease, which is caused by mold with orange spots on the leaves. Plants that are infected with rust eventually die.

Devastated by rust disease, the coffee industry declined and was replaced by the production of tea that was so prevalent in Britain at the time.

The first tea cultivar brought to Sri Lanka was Assam, which was discovered in India in the 19th century.

At that time, India, like Sri Lanka, was dominated by the United Kingdom, and large-scale plantation farming was practiced as a tea producing area.

Sri Lanka was chosen as the land to increase the productivity of the tea industry based in India.

The birthplace of “Lipton”

As mentioned above, Sri Lanka used to cultivate Assam cultivars that were originally brought from India.

Assam cultivars were brought to Sri Lanka by a man named “Thomas Lipton”.

He is the founder of Lipton, a tea company that is still famous today.

He entered the tea business at the age of 39. He bought up all of tea gardens in Ceylon and stared his tea business.

Lipton, a man of great business ability, created the catchphrase “From the tea garden to the teapot” and launched a campaign in various countries.

The campaign was so successful that the names “Ceylon Tea” and “Lipton” spread around the world.