As per evidence it is been said that history of tea drinking dates back to 750 BC in India. It begins with a legend. A monk who later became the founder of Zen Buddhism decided to spend seven sleepless years contemplating the life and teachings of Buddha. While he was at fifth year of his contemplation and prayer, he almost fell asleep. He took some leaves from a nearby bush and began chewing them. These leaves revived him and enabled him to stay awake as he chewed on them whenever he felt drowsy. Thus he was able to complete his penance of seven years. These were the leaves of the wild tea plant.
During 16th century, people of India started preparing vegetable dishes using tea leaves along with garlic and oil. They boiled tea leaves to prepare a drink out of it.
Long before commercial production of tea started in India, tea leaves where growing wild in the jungles of north east Assam. The commercial production of tea was started with arrival of The East India Company in early 1820’s. The first Tea Garden was established by the British East India Company by the end of the 19th century after the Company took over tea cultivation in Assam.
And the rest, as they say, is History!