The History of Tea

During the time of the Northern Way Dynasty 386-535 CE, apparently the tea processing had improved at least to what we might think of as a basic level. There are mentions of cakes made of tea leaves that have been roasted. The popularity of tea spreads so much during this time that it was no longer just a drink of the elite, of the emperor and his court. It was a drink for everybody, even peasants by this point in Chinese history.