--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tea began as a medicine and grew into a…" description: "\"Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.\" — Okakura Kakuzo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/okakura-kakuzo-24162_beverages_tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a_1653312.jpg" --- # Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. ![“Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.” quote by Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/okakura-kakuzo-24162_beverages_tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a_1653312.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/okakura-kakuzo-24162_beverages_tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a_1653312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/okakura-kakuzo-24162_beverages_tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a_1653312.jpg) > “Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.” [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tea started as a medicinal herb and later became a popular drink. **In simple terms:** Tea moved from medicine to drink. Key Takeaway Appreciate tea’s cultural evolution. Themes culture history food Mood reflective educational Type historical informative When to use this quote - culinary history - health trends - global trade Key Concepts medicine trade social ritual Questions to Reflect On - What other foods have similar shifts? - How does this affect perception? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex history. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beverages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beverages/) [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tea/) ## Related quotes > [Tea with us became more than an idealisation of the form of drinking; it is a religion of the art of life. 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(Talon) Ew! No, that stuff will kill you. I have herbal teas, though. (Sunshine) Herbal teas? 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It's a romance, a story, a drama-all of those things that are basically putting on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/wine-is-so-much-more-than-a-beverage-it-s-a-romance-a-story-a-drama/) [Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/) ## More by Okakura Kakuzo > [The canvas upon which the artist paints is the spectator's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-canvas-upon-which-the-artist-paints-is-the-spectator-s-mind/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/teaism-is-a-cult-founded-on-the-adoration-of-the-beautiful-among-the/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-art-of-life-is-a-constant-readjustment-to-our-surroundings/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [In our common parlance we speak of the man "with no tea" in him, when he is insusceptible to the serio-comic interests of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/in-our-common-parlance-we-speak-of-the-man-with-no-tea-in-him-when-he/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/in-joy-or-sadness-flowers-are-our-constant-friends/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities. We have good and bad teas, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master-hand-to-bring-out-its-noblest/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [“The Taoist and Zen conception of perfection... the dynamic nature of their philosophy laid more stress upon the process through which perfection was sought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-taoist-and-zen-conception-of-perfection-the-dynamic-nature-of/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Friends are flowers in life's garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/friends-are-flowers-in-life-s-garden/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of-great-things-in-themselves/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [The outsider may indeed wonder at this seeming much ado about nothing. What a tempest in a tea-cup! he will say. But when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-outsider-may-indeed-wonder-at-this-seeming-much-ado-about-nothing/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [In Japan, I took part in a tea ceremony. You go into a small room, tea is served, and that's it really, except that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/in-japan-i-took-part-in-a-tea-ceremony-you-go-into-a-small-room-tea/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [A garden is a friend you can visit any time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/a-garden-is-a-friend-you-can-visit-any-time/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Tea is more than an idealization of the form of drinking; it is a religion of the art of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-is-more-than-an-idealization-of-the-form-of-drinking-it-is-a/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Cares melt when you kneel in your garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/cares-melt-when-you-kneel-in-your-garden/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [The Philosophy of Tea is not mere aestheticism ... for it expresses conjointly with ethics and religion our whole point of view about man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-philosophy-of-tea-is-not-mere-aestheticism-for-it-expresses/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) [Explore all 24 Okakura Kakuzo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) ## More Beverage quotes > [Water is a beverage which I never enjoyed in purity and perfection before I visited America. It is provided in abundance in the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-bird/water-is-a-beverage-which-i-never-enjoyed-in-purity-and-perfection/) [Isabella Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-bird/) > [Wine is so much more than a beverage. It's a romance, a story, a drama-all of those things that are basically putting on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/wine-is-so-much-more-than-a-beverage-it-s-a-romance-a-story-a-drama/) [Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/) > [Mind if I have some of your tasty beverage to wash this down with? -Jules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pulp-fiction/mind-if-i-have-some-of-your-tasty-beverage-to-wash-this-down-with/) Pulp Fiction > [For tea, though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities, or are become so from wine-drinking, and are not susceptible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-quincey/for-tea-though-ridiculed-by-those-who-are-naturally-coarse-in-their/) [Thomas de Quincey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-quincey/) > [Coffee is the official beverage of culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-illy/coffee-is-the-official-beverage-of-culture/) [Andrea Illy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-illy/) > [“In my opinion any activity during which you can enjoy a beverage is not a sport. It is a party.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-thomas-ford/in-my-opinion-any-activity-during-which-you-can-enjoy-a-beverage-is/) [Michael Thomas Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-thomas-ford/) > [I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/i-come-from-a-family-where-gravy-is-considered-a-beverage/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [There's not a man, woman or child on the face of the earth who doesn't enjoy a tasty beverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/there-s-not-a-man-woman-or-child-on-the-face-of-the-earth-who-doesn-t/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [As a singer, I like to have a warm beverage with me all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-erivo/as-a-singer-i-like-to-have-a-warm-beverage-with-me-all-the-time/) [Cynthia Erivo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-erivo/) > [“The god's chosen beverage. Tremble before the horror of Diet Coke!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/the-god-s-chosen-beverage-tremble-before-the-horror-of-diet-coke/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Pouring espresso is an art, one that requires the barista to care about the quality of the beverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/pouring-espresso-is-an-art-one-that-requires-the-barista-to-care/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [“Espresso, now there’s a pointless substance. Anything served in a thimble I do not class as a beverage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-j-newell/espresso-now-there-s-a-pointless-substance-anything-served-in-a/) [Paul J. Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-j-newell/) > [There's less clutter in the beverage category than in the music category. A lot less clutter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-carter/there-s-less-clutter-in-the-beverage-category-than-in-the-music/) [Troy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-carter/) > [Gansey appeared beside Blue in the doorway. He shook his empty bottle at her. "Fair trade," he told her in a way that indicated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/gansey-appeared-beside-blue-in-the-doorway-he-shook-his-empty-bottle/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [“Look into the future with me. People will tire of colas. Their color is dark, ominous. They bring to mind shadows and doubt, things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-eirik-clark/look-into-the-future-with-me-people-will-tire-of-colas-their-color-is/) Stephan Eirik Clark Browse all 43 Beverage quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Okakura Kakuzo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a-beverage/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beverage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a-beverage/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/okakura-kakuzo-24162_beverages_tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a_1653312.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/okakura-kakuzo-24162_beverages_tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a_1653312.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/okakura-kakuzo-24162_beverages_tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a_1653312.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.” — Okakura Kakuzo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Okakura Kakuzo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Tea began as a medicine and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a-beverage/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a-beverage/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```