Small-scale Tea Growing and Processing in Hawaii

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is one of the oldest and most popular beverages in the world. It has refresh ing and revitalizing herbal qualities and ceremonial aes thetics that together embody the essence of simplicity, calmness, and tranquility. By legend, the origin of tea is attributed to a Chinese scholar and herbalist, Emperor Shen Nung, who lived around 2737 BC. It is said that one day Shen Nung was boiling water for an evening meal while resting under a wild tea tree. A slight breeze came and a few of the leaves gently fell into his simmering water. Upon tasting it, he found this brew refreshing and exhilarating. Thus tea was “discovered,” and since then it spread throughout the world. Although China certainly had an ancient and colorful role in tea’s history, many other countries embraced tea culture, including Ta