The beverage we call tea has long been consumed by humans. Did you know that tea is the second-most-consumed beverage in the world? That’s right: The only beverage consumed more than tea is water. Before briefly explaining the history of tea, it is important to define what tea is. There are many types of herbal teas native to cultures and societies around the world, but this article focuses on true teas. Green, yellow, white, oolong, dark and black teas are made from the Camellia sinensis plant. The variations in tea made from this plant are due to the levels of oxidation or fermentation, in the case of dark tea, used during processing. According to an article by Best Tea Bags, herbal teas, or herbal infusions, are not considered true teas because they do not come from the Camellia sinensis plant.

The tea plant is believed to have originated in what is now northeastern India and spread throughout Southeast Asia. The Chinese are the first known civilization to have begun drinking tea, with historians dating its consumption to around 2737 B.C. during the Chinese Shang dynasty. The story of the Chinese discovery of tea goes as follows: The Chinese emperor Shen Nung sat beneath a tree while his servant boiled water. Some leaves from a tree then blew into the water. The emperor decided to drink the water, marking the discovery of tea. It is unknown how accurate this tale is. Humans may have consumed tea even earlier, but tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant was discovered in East Asia before it was documented elsewhere. Evidence of tea consumption can be found in tombs from China’s Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), where containers of tea were discovered.

Tea drinking spread to other East Asian civilizations, including Japan, Korea and Vietnam, during China’s Tang dynasty, which lasted from A.D. 618 to 907. The Japanese became so enthusiastic about tea that their culture developed the tea ceremony, which has been refined over the centuries since tea was introduced to Japan. The ceremony usually involves matcha, a powdered form of green tea.

The British are known for drinking tea, but this tradition dates back only about 400 years. Tea was first introduced to Europe through the Silk Road, but it did not become more readily available until the Portuguese and Dutch began traveling to East Asia in the 16th century during the Age of Exploration. The Dutch became the first Europeans to import tea for commercial purposes, primarily through the Dutch East India Company, which began importing tea from Java.

Tea began gaining popularity in Europe during the mid-17th century, particularly in the Netherlands and Great Britain. The marriage of King Charles II and Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza helped popularize tea among England’s upper class. Tea became popular in coffeehouses, which were not only places to enjoy drinks but also centers of business. This helped make tea popular among the middle class as well. However, tea was expensive and not readily available to working-class people. The first tax on tea was introduced in 1689, but the tax was so high that it had to be reduced three years later, in 1692.

In the 18th century, the tea trade expanded further in England. The British East India Company exported silver to China to pay for tea, silk and porcelain, contributing to a trade imbalance. The company eventually turned to selling opium grown in India to reduce its spending on silver. However, this contributed to the Opium Wars of 1839-1842 and 1856-1860. The British East India Company eventually established tea plantations in India to reduce its reliance on Chinese tea and address the trade imbalance.

Although it is not the primary focus of this paper, American history also demonstrates tea’s popularity in the British colonies. The Tea Act of 1773 and the resulting Boston Tea Party illustrate the significance of tea during this period. Unhappy with taxation without representation, colonists dumped 342 chests of tea belonging to the British East India Company into Boston Harbor.

In conclusion, tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant is a beverage enjoyed by people around the world, both today and throughout history. Its consumption began in China and spread throughout East Asia. Eventually, tea was introduced to Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries and became more widely adopted in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, it remains the second-most-consumed beverage in the world.

Sources
Bags, Best Tea. The 6 Types of Tea: A Complete Guide to White, Green, Yellow, Oolong, Black & Dark. Best Tea Bags, June 23, 2026. https://bestteabags.com/journal/types-of-tea.

Beyer, Greg. History of Tea: The Drink That Conquered the World. TheCollector, Feb. 8, 2024. https://www.thecollector.com/history-of-tea/.

Boite Ltd. A Comprehensive History of Tea — The Tea Guide. The Tea Guide, Nov. 19, 2025. https://tea.guide/a-comprehensive-history-of-tea/.

Deeper Japan. The History of Tea Ceremony in Japan — Deeper Japan. Accessed Oct. 27, 2026. https://www.deeperjapan.com/tea-ceremony-history.

UK Tea & Infusions Association. History of Tea. Accessed Oct. 27, 2026. https://www.tea.co.uk/history-of-tea.