According to the mythology, in 2737 BC the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung sat by a tree while his servant was boiling drinking water. When a leaf from a wild bush dropped into the water. As a hobby scientist, the King decided to drink the brew and found the taste to be a very pleasing one and he then decided to experiment with this leaf.

         In Japan tea was introduced in 805 AD as a medicine for its meditation enhancing properties by a Buddhist missionary. In the 1500’s Portuguese established trade with China and where the first to bring the leaf to Europe. In the 1600’s a renowned French social critic added milk to the tea for the first time.  The Dutch served it in Restaurants and introduced it to America. Ironically, the British - whom are known as major tea consumers today, where among the later nations to be introduced to this beverage.

         In Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) tea arrived in the late 1830’s when a few bushes where brought to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Paradeniya / Kandy. It was only in 1869 when a disease known as “coffee rust” destroyed all the coffee plantations that tea was planted instead and in a very short time span of less then 20 years became a major crop for the Island. The British tea planters aided the rapid expansion and export of tea during their colonial reign.

       Today Sri Lanka produces some of the best and most sought after teas in the world. Sri Lanka is the world’s biggest exporter of tea and is recognized for its high quality tea which still goes under the name “Ceylon Tea” even though Sri Lanka gave up the name “Ceylon” In 1972.