History

The history of black tea can be easily understood as the journey of tea, which originated in China, crossing over to Europe, then being produced on a large scale in India and Ceylon, and now continuing with new movements such as the protection of place names and Japanese black tea. You can check the regions of interest in the Tea Encyclopedia and locate them on the World Tea Map.

Events from ancient times include those based on later records and traditions. For items with uncertain dates, we have noted this accordingly.

From China to Japan

1. Around 350The Chinese dictionary 'Guangya' records the method of compressing tea leaves into cakes and boiling them for drinking.
2. 729The legend of Emperor Shomu serving tea to a monk, known as 'Hicha' (based on later records, with no solid evidence).
3. Around 760Lu Yu writes 'The Classic of Tea', the oldest existing book on tea.
4. 805Saicho is said to have brought tea seeds back from Tang China.
5. 1191Eisai returns from Song China and is said to have sown the seeds he brought back in places like Mount Seburi.
6. 1211Eisai writes 'Kissa Yojoki', advocating the benefits of tea.
7. 1587Toyotomi Hideyoshi holds the Kitano Grand Tea Ceremony.

Crossing to Europe

1. 1610The Dutch East India Company transports tea from Japan and China to Europe.
2. 1657Tea is sold in coffee houses in London.
3. 1662Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess, marries into the English royal family, spreading the custom of tea drinking at court.
4. 1689England begins direct imports of tea from Guangdong, China.
5. 1706Thomas Twining opens a coffee house in London, marking the beginning of the existing tea merchant Twining.
6. 1717Twining opens a shop called 'Golden Lion' selling tea by weight, allowing women to shop there.
7. 1721The East India Company nearly monopolizes the import of tea to England.
8. 1773The Boston Tea Party occurs.
9. 1784The tax rate on tea is lowered from 119% to 12.5% due to a tax reduction law, leading to a decline in smuggling.

Expansion to India and Ceylon

1. 1823Robert Bruce discovers wild tea trees in Assam (the use of tea had been practiced locally for a long time).
2. 1833The East India Company's monopoly on trade with China is abolished, liberalizing tea trade.
3. 1839Assam black tea is auctioned for the first time in London. That same year, tea trees are brought to the botanical gardens in Ceylon.
4. Around 1840Duchess Anna Maria of Bedford is said to have started afternoon tea.
5. 1848-51Robert Fortune brings tea trees and tea-making techniques from China to India. It is also confirmed that green tea and black tea can be made from the same tea tree.
6. 1867James Taylor begins tea cultivation in Uva, Ceylon, marking the starting point of Ceylon black tea.
7. 1869Coffee rust disease spreads in Ceylon, leading to a shift from coffee to tea cultivation.
8. 1890Thomas Lipton purchases tea estates in Ceylon and begins producing tea for his company.

Black Tea Takes Root in Japan

1. 1875Tea training centers are established in Kumamoto and Yamaga, marking the beginning of domestic black tea production for export.
2. 1876Motokichi Tada travels to India and Ceylon, bringing back tea-making techniques.
3. 1887Japan imports black tea for the first time, with only about 100 kg coming from England.
4. 1903The prototype of the tea bag is patented in the United States (application filed in 1901).
5. 1904Iced tea becomes widely known at the St. Louis World’s Fair, although it had been consumed in the southern United States for some time.
6. 1906Meijiya imports Lipton tea for the first time.
7. 1908The story of Thomas Sullivan sending tea leaves in silk bags is known as the catalyst for the popularization of tea bags.
8. 1927Mitsui Black Tea (now Nitto Tea) is released.
9. 1930sThe CTC method, which produces strong tea in a short time, is developed.

Modern Era — The Present of the World and Japan

1. 1971The liberalization of tea imports allows black tea from around the world to be available in Japan.
2. 1986Kirin releases 'Afternoon Tea', Japan's first bottled black tea, which suppresses cream down that causes cloudiness when cooled through innovative manufacturing methods.
3. 1990sDomestic black tea production, which had once ceased, gradually revives through the efforts of producers across the country.
4. 1993Japan's first black tea cultivar 'Benifuki' is registered. Its maternal line 'Benihomare' is linked to the lineage brought back by Motokichi Tada from India.
5. 2004Darjeeling is registered as the first geographical indication (GI) in India, legally protecting the place name.
6. 2005Jin Jun Mei is born in Fujian, China, becoming a new high-end black tea made only from buds.
7. 2011Darjeeling is registered as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in the EU.
8. 2010sThe term 'Wakocha' becomes established, with regions and producers spreading across the country.
9. 2019Bubble milk tea becomes a huge trend in Japan, making black tea more accessible to younger generations.
10. 2021-22Due to a ban on chemical fertilizer imports and an economic crisis in Sri Lanka, Ceylon black tea production significantly declines.
11. 2023It has been 200 years since wild tea trees were discovered in Assam, with commemorative events held in the region.