Which Came First Coffee or Tea? (Solved & Explained!)

Coffee was first developed in Yemen around 900 AD, three thousand years after the creation of tea. Tea was first cultivated in China in 2,700 BC, making it one of the world’s earliest drinks.

What Came First – Tea or Coffee?

The origin of both tea and coffee is lost in history, but records show that tea was consumed for many thousands of years before tea. 

Tea was first discovered in China, where it was initially only consumed by the Emperor and his followers. From there, popularity steadily grew across Japan, India, and other Asian countries.

It was several thousand years before tea was brought to Europe in around the 17th century, but once it was, it immediately became the drink of choice.

Conversely, coffee is said to have been discovered in Yemen, where it was consumed by both noblemen and commoners alike. The popularity of coffee grew across the Middle East until it eventually hit Europe and then, America.

When Was Tea Invented?

There are two main origin myths surrounding the creation of tea. The first one involves the Emperor Shen Nong, who was exhausted from another day of walking through the mountains with his men. 

It is said that Shen Nong was so tired from the walk that he decided to take a break beneath the shade of a tree. Whilst relaxing, one of his servants boiled a cup of water for him to drink.

A leaf fell from a nearby tree and landed in the water, turning it into a green color and producing the most delicious aroma. 

Shen Nong inspected the drink, and, known for his curiosity towards natural herbs and plants, decided to give it a go. Immediately, he discovered that he loved the taste of it, and he began to share this discovery with the rest of the world.

Japanese Origin of Tea

Despite the fact that tea didn’t hit Japan until later, another tea legend talks about the founder of Chan Buddhism, a young Bodhidharma, who had been meditating for nine years.

Unfortunately, nine years of consciousness seemed to be his limit, and he finally fell asleep. When he woke up, he was disgusted at himself for his weakness, and so he tore off his eyelids and threw them to the ground in anger. 

To Bodhidharma’s surprise, the eyelids took root, and from there, the first tea plants grew.

Why Did the British Start Drinking Tea?

Surprisingly, coffee arrived in Britain one century before tea – but once tea was imported, the Brits decided that would be their drink of choice.

When tea was imported to the UK, only members of royalty were able to drink it. It had been consumed by emperors for thousands of years, and wasn’t released to the public until the British East India Company ran a marketing campaign to get more people to drink it.

What Conflicts Did the British Cause Over Tea?

Since then, many conflicts were caused by the British over tea. To begin with, the Brits started the Opium Wars in China.

This was caused by their initial trade with China for tea, where after a while, the Chinese refused to continue exporting such a vast amount of tea for such seemingly small gains.

However, the British refused to let them stop trading – instead, they began offering them opium in exchange for the tea. It didn’t take long before many Chinese people became addicted to opium, so the Chinese government cut off the trade with Britain. 

However, the Brits again refused to stop receiving their tea, instead trading heavier and more secretly, until many Chinese people were entirely dependent on opium and the Brits could finally have their tea.

What Caused the Boston Tea Party?

There was also the Boston Tea Party, a political protest by the American colonists who were angry at Britain for imposing such heavy taxes.

Out of frustration, they threw 342 of tea imported by the British East India Company into the harbor.

When Was Coffee Invented?

There are several origin myths behind the creation of coffee. The first one states that whilst a visiting mystic was in Ethiopia, he noticed that the birds would eat certain berries which would revitalize them and fill them with energy.

When the mystic tried the berries himself, he was pleasantly surprised to find that they had the same effect on him.

Origin of Yemen Coffee

Another myth suggests that a sheik’s disciple was exiled, and as such, he had to eat the local berries to survive. 

Apparently, the berries were too bitter for him, so he threw them into the fire with the hope that they would cook and taste less astringent. This didn’t work either, as the berries became hard and inedible. 

Finally, he tried boiling them in water, turning the water sweet-smelling and a dark brown color. He threw away the berry and drank the liquid, and was sustained for days.

The disciple was appointed as a saint for this discovery.

How Was Coffee Created?

A final coffee myth suggests that a goatherd was watching his goats eat the coffee berries when he noticed how they immediately became full of energy. 

As such, the goatherd took the berries to a local monk, who disapproved of them and threw the berries into the fire. However, this only wafted out a pleasant aroma which caused other monks to gather around.

The monks rescued the beans from the fire, ground them, added them to water, and subsequently created coffee.

Are Catholics Allowed to Drink Coffee?

There were many controversies surrounding coffee when the beverage was first introduced to wider audiences. First, it was argued whether or not Catholics would be able to drink coffee, due to its stimulant nature. It was only when the Pope approved it that Catholics began drinking the beverage.

Following that, coffee houses grew in popularity across Europe – but only men were allowed to enter them.

Are Women Allowed to Drink Coffee?

In 1674, there was a petition by women against coffee, which claimed that “the Excessive Use of that Newfangled, Abominable, Heathenish Liquor called COFFEE has Eunucht our Husbands, and Crippled our more kind Gallants, that they are become as Impotent, as Age.”

Since then, coffee has become a popular drink which men and women around the world are able to enjoy.