The story of how the drinking of tea originated is interesting and has merit. Accordingly, in 2737 B.C., Emperor Shen Nong, was visiting a distant region of his realm and he and his court stopped to rest along the roadside. The servants began to boil water, as required for hygienic purposes, for all to drink. By chance, dried leaves from nearby were said to have fallen into the boiling water, creating a brownish liquid. When the emperor tasted it and found it to have an interesting, refreshing flavor, they made more. According to the legend, this is the beginning of tea drinking!
Although a Chinese tea, its name originates from the 18th century camel caravans that facilitated the transcontinental tea trade from tea-producing areas (namely India, Ceylon and China) to Europe via Russia. "It took at least half a year to make the six-thousand-mile journey from the Chinese border to Russia, and the voyage was harsh." Caravan has a distinctive smoky aroma caused by the Lapsang Souchong in the blend, originally intended as a natural preservative.
