Tea originated in China thousands of years ago. No one knows exactly when it became popular, but some legends date tea as far back as 2700 BC. This makes it older than the Great Pyramids of Giza!
Despite its popularity, tea did not have its own unique character for hundreds of years. In fact, it shared the same character with sow thistles and was only distinguished in pronunciation. It wasn’t until around the year 750 AD that it developed its own character, but it has remained the same for nearly 1300 years!
Pronounced cha, the Chinese character for tea is a beautiful one that’s written from top to bottom. The top strokes (shaped like an H) represent “grass” or “plant,” designating that tea comes from a plant. This H-shaped stroke appears on related Chinese characters such as flower and petal. Even if you don’t know Chinese, you can spot plant-related characters by this H-shape!
Enjoy one of our many Chinese teas today; we’re sure you’ll find one that you love!
My cup of Tea 