History
~ The Way of Tea ~
One can reach the state of enlightenment through practicing tea
History of Tea
According to a legend, the first tea drinker in the world was a Chinese emperor Chen Nung. He was believed to be a descendant of Korean Dong-yee tribe. Chen Nung drank the first drop of tea accidentally in 2737 BC. The medical properties of tea were known as early as 206 BC . Lu Yu (727-804) of Tang dynasty (618-907) wrote Chaking, The Classic of Tea, the first book on tea. This book elevated the status of tea from a simple beverage to a spiritual elixir.
Korea and Tea
Korea has 2,000 years of tea drinking history. Tea has been a sacred drink and Koreans offered tea to God during rituals. In 47 AD, "Bamboo dew tea" was first mentioned. The King of Kaya Kingdom (199-661) offered tea to his ancestors. Since 6th century, Korea produced many famous tea practitioners. Tea has also been a part of intellectual and artistic life and a muse to literati. More than 1,000 tea poems exist in Korea.
The simple way to look at the Korean tea drinking history is by the development of tea preparation. Up to 1100 AD, Paeng da bop, a boiling method, was used. Koreans boiled coarsely ground cake tea with water in a stone kettle and drank tea and all. From 1100 to 1600 AD, Jeom da bop, a pouring method, was popular. They poured hot water into powder tea, stirred and drank it. Uicheon, a Buddhist monk and a member of the royal family in Koryo dynasty brought this type of powder tea culture from the Sung dynasty ( 960-1280) in China. Zen priests were at the center of this tea trend. Decorated silver tea whisk and later bamboo tea whisk were used to stir powder tea in a tea bowl.
From 1600 AD on, Jeon da bop, a decoction method, was developed. Brewing leaf tea in a teapot gained popularity. During this period, Korean tea culture was on the brink of disappearing due to long political turmoil and wars. Choyee Sonsa (1789-1866), a Buddhist monk, revived the Korean tea culture and wrote Dong Da Song, Song of Korean Tea. As such, Choyee Sonsa is known as a Tea Saint in Korea.
Japan and Tea
Japan has a long history of tea drinking. A few tea rituals are mentioned in 8th century records. Around 815 AD, a Buddhist monk Eichu, who traveled to the Tang dynasty in China, served tea to the Emperor Saga in Japan according to historical documents. In 1191 AD, Eisai, the founder of Zen Buddhism in Japan brought powder tea culture from the Sung dynasty in China.
The Japanese tea ceremony practiced and known today as wabicha, or modest way of tea, was started by Murata Shuko (1422-1502), enriched by Takeno Jo-o (1502-1555) then refined by Takeno’s student, Sen no Rikyu (1522 -1591). Shunning large tea gatherings in grand rooms with luxurious decorations, Murata preferred a small room and would serve tea to his guests himself and practiced the true spirit of the refined simplicity in tea. Takeno Jo-o contributed to the forms and accessories of the wabicha. Sen no Rikyu, who served as tea master under two rulers, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, refined the art. By the 16th century, the expression chanoyu, meaning hot water for tea, was in use in Japan to describe a tea gathering where the host served tea for a small party of friends.
Okinawa and Tea
Okinawa is a group of islands in the East China Sea. It was once an independent Ryukyu Kingdom until Japan annexed and made it one of its prefectures in 1879. Although it was a small kingdom, the Ryuku Kingdom was once prosperous from trading with countries like China, Korea, and far away Philippines. The Kingdom maintained a tributary relationship with China since 14th century.
Ryukyu Kingdom had its own Bukubuku (foam tea) tea ceremony. The oldest record traced back to 1719. One Chinese envoy who stayed in the Kingdom wrote a book about his experience upon returning to China. In the book, he mentioned drinking foam tea at the court. He also left an illustration of a beautiful lidded tea cup and a big bamboo whisk used in the tea ceremony. This tea ritual almost disappeared. Fortunately, Mrs. Tanaka Chieko of The Ryuku Bukubuku Tea Association single-handedly restored it. It took her almost 30 years.