Tea: The Drink That Built an Empire—and Helped Break One

Tea: The Drink That Built an Empire—and Helped Break OneChina had the tea. Britain had the appetite. John Hancock had a business to protect.

British TV - No disaster can happen before a cuppaWatch almost any British television series, and tea appears whenever you enter someone’s home or office. Tea, apparently, is not only a beverage but also a medication for both mental and physical issues.

Oh, turns out someone has died? Put the kettle on. Yes, at some point, gin or whisky will be involved, but there is always tea. Were you shot at? Tea. Your spouse has left you? Tea. Need to discuss a murder? Tea.

I have been watching Slow Horses, one of the great detective series about MI5. From this, I have learned that British intelligence can tolerate treason, Russian assassins, and Gary Oldman’s personal hygiene, as long as there is tea.

It does not matter the hour, morning, afternoon, or evening. And I am always shocked that nobody ever looks at the clock and says, “Perhaps this caffeine will interfere with my sleep.” No. Kettle on. Could be 2 am, and you just showed up to tell them bad news, are hiding from a shooter, or you broke up with your significant other - tea it is.

It is not like Americans, who offer coffee to everyone, but close. Tea is offered regardless of time, circumstances, or whether you even like the person. I am convinced that if you do not offer tea to a Brit, you will be breaking a royal command.

Civilizations and TeaIn this series about foods that built civilizations, we have covered foods from wheat to salmon, allowing civilizations to settle and develop.

Tea is different. Nobody survived a winter because they had enough tea. But tea, like coffee, helped build civilizations, providing a gathering spot. But the love of tea allowed for two wars, espionage, and ritual.

The Chinese Had Tea FirstThe legend is that the Chinese Emperor Shen Nong discovered tea when some leaves blew into his hot water almost 5,000 years ago.

By the eighth century, during the Tang dynasty, Lu Yu had written The Classic of Tea, an entire book about cultivating, preparing, and drinking tea.

Black and Green TeaI’ve always thought green tea tasted like pond water. And despite the many health benefits of green tea, it never appealed to me. Black tea is my preference, and it amazes me that black and green tea come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis.

Green tea leaves are heated quickly by steaming or pan-firing right after harvesting to stop oxidation. This keeps the