View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-history-of-tea-shunan-teng Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water –– and from ...
========== During a long day spent roaming the forest
in search of edible grains and herbs, the weary divine farmer Shennong
accidentally poisoned himself 72 times. But before the poisons could end his life, a leaf drifted into his mouth. He chewed on it and it revived him, and that is how we discovered tea. Or so an ancient legend goes at least. Tea doesn't actually cure poisonings, but the story of Shennong, the mythical Chinese inventor
of agriculture, highlights tea's importance
to ancient China. Archaeological evidence suggests tea
was first cultivated there as early as 6,000 years ago, or 1,500 years before the pharaohs built
the Great Pyramids of Giza. That original Chinese tea plant is the same type that's grown
around the world today, yet it was originally consumed
very...