The Humble Teaspoon: How a Small Spoon Came to Shape the Way We Brew Tea

In nearly every kitchen drawer, there is a teaspoon.

It is small, familiar, unremarkable—and yet, in the world of tea, few objects have had such an outsized influence. The teaspoon quietly governs how many of us measure tea, follow recipes, and even think about precision in brewing. But where did it come from? Why is it called a teaspoon at all? And how did it become a standardized unit of measurement?

To answer those questions, we need to look not just at tea, but at history, etiquette, medicine, and the evolution of how we measure everyday.

Why Is It Called a “Teaspoon”?

The first use of the term "tea spoon" is recorded in an advertisement in the London Gazette in 1686. The term emerged in England at precisely the moment when tea drinking was becoming embedded in daily life. As tea moved from a luxury import to a household ritual, new objects appeared to support it: teapots, porcelain cups, strainers—and small spoons designed specifically for tea.

These spoons were used to stir sugar into cups of tea and to portion loose leaf from caddies. (Some archives note the presence of separate "sugar spoons" that were used to scoop sugar into the tea cup.) They were smaller than serving spoons and soup spoons, and they served a distinct function. Naturally, they came to be called tea spoons—the spoon used for tea.

Early references in household inventories and silversmith catalogues confirm this functional naming. At the time, there was no intention to define an exact volume. A teaspoon was simply the appropriate spoon for tea.

What is the standard size of a teaspoon?

Today, a teaspoon is defined as:

1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 milliliters

This precision, however, is entirely modern.

Historically, teaspoons varied widely:

• Sizes differed by country and craftsman
• Early teaspoons were often smaller than today’s versions
• Their purpose was stirring and scooping, not measuring

The standardized teaspoon we recognize today exists because of measurement systems, not because tea demanded uniformity.

How Did the Teaspoon Become Standardized?

The journey from “a small spoon” to “5 milliliters” unfolded gradually.

1. Medicine and Apothecaries
In the 18th and 19th centuries, spoons were commonly used to administer liquid medicines. Terms like “a teaspoonful” began appearing in medical instructions, creating a need—however imperfect—for consistency.

2. Industrial Manufacturing
As flatware production became industrialized in the 19th century, spoon sizes became more uniform. This reduced variation but did not yet create a universal standard.

3. Modern Nutrition and Measurement Systems
True standardization arrived in the 20th century with:

• The rise of home economics
• Nutritional labeling
• The adoption of metric equivalents

By mid-century, the teaspoon was fixed at 5 milliliters, and the tablespoon at 15 milliliters, three times larger.

It is worth noting, a teaspoon as a unit of measurement does not guarantee that the spoon in your drawer holds exactly 5 milliliters.

Teaspoon vs. Tablespoon: What’s the Difference?

A tablespoon is defined as:

1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15 milliliters = 3 teaspoons

Like the teaspoon, the name reflects use before measurement.

The tablespoon was the larger spoon placed on the dining table, used for serving food and eating soups. Only later were teaspoons and tablespoons linked for cooking, nutrition, and labeling.

Why a Teaspoon Is a Poor Way to Measure Tea

(And Why We Still Use It)

In tea brewing, “one teaspoon per cup” is a common instruction. It is also deeply flawed.

Here’s why:

• Different teas have different densities
  A teaspoon of rolled oolong weighs far less than a teaspoon of broken black tea. Fluffy herbal teas occupy much more volume than tightly twisted tea leaves.

• Leaf size matters more than volume
  Whole-leaf teas are designed to unfurl. Measuring them by volume compresses or underrepresents their true brewing potential.

• Traditional tea cultures rarely measured this way
  In China, Japan, and other tea-producing cultures, tea was historically measured by eye, by hand, or by vessel—not by standardized spoons.

So why do we still use teaspoons?

Because they are:

• Accessible

• Familiar

• A reasonable starting point for beginners

At Happy Earth Tea, we encourage using grams whenever possible. Three grams of tea works suitably for most cups of sizes between 8-10 oz. Using a small and inexpensive digital scale is an easy solution towards that.

The teaspoon remains useful, but it should be understood for what it is:
a helpful approximation, not a precise instrument.

A Small Spoon with a Long Shadow

The teaspoon sits quietly at the intersection of tea, history, and habit. It reminds us that many of the rules we follow today were shaped by convenience, culture, and compromise—not by the leaf itself.

Understanding its story invites us to brew more thoughtfully, measure more intentionally, and appreciate tea not just as a beverage, but as a living tradition—one that has always resisted rigid standardization.

Sometimes, the smallest tools carry the longest histories.