A Lesson in Tea and Coffee
Coffee isn?t just a beverage. It?s an art form. The same goes for tea. Tea and coffee are both social beverages which have depth and history behind them. Here?s a look at the two drinks in all their caffeinated glory.
As old time legends have it, the origins of coffee can be traced to Ethiopia, where it grows copiously, and in the wild. Shepherds were apparently the first to discover its stimulating effects after their flock nibbled on some and couldn?t settle down for the night. Another ancient tale tells of a man who was shipped out to the desert to starve to death. In the desert, the man could only find the coffee plant, so he took chance, boiled it and lived. He then made it to the neighboring town of Mocha; the locals there thought his survival was a miracle.
Historians believe that coffee was first drank around 1000 AD. In Yemen (southern Arabia), Sufi monks apparently brewed the drink within their monasteries. The drink traveled to Yemen and Egypt via Ethiopia. As with so many other inventions, we can credit the Arabians for introducing the roasting and brewing technique we are familiar with in these modern times. From the Middle East, the plant spread to Northern Africa by around 1450. It then took off in Europe by way of Italy; from there it spread to Indonesia and then eventually America.
In order to protect their investment, Arabians made their coffee beans infertile by boiling them before shipping them out. According to legend, an Indian man whose name was Baba Budan defied the Arabian measures by sneaking out fertile beans strapped to his stomach. Thus came coffee to Europe through ancient Venice and the beverage boomed.
The Dutch began importing coffee in significant amounts, defying the Arab prohibition in 1616. They then took their crop to Java and Ceylon. Exports of Indonesian coffee to the Netherlands took place around 1711.
Today, coffee is drunk the world over. Brewing the perfect cup has become something of an art form. It?s not just water and beans, but rather, temperature, water quality, roast and care.
Tea has a long history. Legend has it that it was first discovered in ancient China, some 5,000 years ago. The emperor Shen Nung required that water be boiled, for hygienic reasons. One day, he was visiting a far off land and having stopped to rest, the servants prepared boiled water for the court to drink. Some dried up leaves from a bush fell into the boiling water, turning it brown. The emperor?s curiosity was piqued and he drank the mixture and found it pleasing. Thus tea was first created.
Tea culture was pervasive in ancient China. In 800 AD Lu Yu wrote the first guide to tea called the Ch?a Ching. The book detailed various tea rituals, cultivation methods and preparation. The work was heralded as a masterpiece and backed by the Emperor himself.
The Japanese weren?t introduced to the beverage until the priest Yeisei brought it back to his homeland from China some years later. After that tea was big in Japan.
Europe was first introduced to the beverage via a Portuguese Jesuit monk in 1560. From there, the drink grew in popularity. - 17273
As old time legends have it, the origins of coffee can be traced to Ethiopia, where it grows copiously, and in the wild. Shepherds were apparently the first to discover its stimulating effects after their flock nibbled on some and couldn?t settle down for the night. Another ancient tale tells of a man who was shipped out to the desert to starve to death. In the desert, the man could only find the coffee plant, so he took chance, boiled it and lived. He then made it to the neighboring town of Mocha; the locals there thought his survival was a miracle.
Historians believe that coffee was first drank around 1000 AD. In Yemen (southern Arabia), Sufi monks apparently brewed the drink within their monasteries. The drink traveled to Yemen and Egypt via Ethiopia. As with so many other inventions, we can credit the Arabians for introducing the roasting and brewing technique we are familiar with in these modern times. From the Middle East, the plant spread to Northern Africa by around 1450. It then took off in Europe by way of Italy; from there it spread to Indonesia and then eventually America.
In order to protect their investment, Arabians made their coffee beans infertile by boiling them before shipping them out. According to legend, an Indian man whose name was Baba Budan defied the Arabian measures by sneaking out fertile beans strapped to his stomach. Thus came coffee to Europe through ancient Venice and the beverage boomed.
The Dutch began importing coffee in significant amounts, defying the Arab prohibition in 1616. They then took their crop to Java and Ceylon. Exports of Indonesian coffee to the Netherlands took place around 1711.
Today, coffee is drunk the world over. Brewing the perfect cup has become something of an art form. It?s not just water and beans, but rather, temperature, water quality, roast and care.
Tea has a long history. Legend has it that it was first discovered in ancient China, some 5,000 years ago. The emperor Shen Nung required that water be boiled, for hygienic reasons. One day, he was visiting a far off land and having stopped to rest, the servants prepared boiled water for the court to drink. Some dried up leaves from a bush fell into the boiling water, turning it brown. The emperor?s curiosity was piqued and he drank the mixture and found it pleasing. Thus tea was first created.
Tea culture was pervasive in ancient China. In 800 AD Lu Yu wrote the first guide to tea called the Ch?a Ching. The book detailed various tea rituals, cultivation methods and preparation. The work was heralded as a masterpiece and backed by the Emperor himself.
The Japanese weren?t introduced to the beverage until the priest Yeisei brought it back to his homeland from China some years later. After that tea was big in Japan.
Europe was first introduced to the beverage via a Portuguese Jesuit monk in 1560. From there, the drink grew in popularity. - 17273
About the Author:
Damian Papworth adores the Krups 4 cup coffee maker. You can peruse the review on the One Cup Coffee Makers website.
posted by X - Men at
11:30 AM
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