Shennong and the Discovery of Tea

Emperor Shennong, the mythical father of Chinese agriculture and medicine, was known for tasting hundreds of herbs to test their medicinal properties. According to legend, while boiling water under a wild tea tree, a leaf fell into his pot. He drank the infusion and found it refreshing and detoxifying — the first cup of tea. The Classic of Tea by Lu Yu codified this origin story in the Tang Dynasty.