Tea was origninally employed as a decorative plant in the Tijgersgracht compound of Batavia. The seeds was imported into Indonesia from China.

The tea bush was planted in Bogor in 1826. The Indonesian people have been acquainted with tea ever since.

With the arrival of the Dutch and the Cultuurstelsel in 1830, the Government of Indonesia began to employ the local people to plant tea on hired land. The harvested crop was then purchased from them.

Tea, as a commodity was booming and heavily encouraged by the government of Indonesia. Soon the government began to run its own plantations. During the time, local Javanese started drinking tea, made from second class leaves, as their morning ritual.