Tea During The Industrial Revolution
Tea Time
Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea.
~Author Unknown
When you think of drinking a hot cup of tea, you can’t help but feel rather British. Although tea did not originate in Britain, it certainly found a home there. At a time when the world was speeding up, the shuffle of the Industrial Revolution was embraced by some, avoided by others, and left some scrambling to find their place. Tom Standage’s A History of the World in Six Glasses, cleverly explains tea’s journey across the world and back and its lasting impact on all. As the Lipton tea company so perfectly claims, “Tea can do that”. Tea’s roots in China stem from the Himalayan jungles on the border of India and China. The Buddhist monks of this region …show more content…
Tea tasting and the ability to distinguish between different teas was considered in high regard. In fact, it was considered quite the disgrace if you could not properly make and serve tea. Special “tribute teas” were served to the emperor annually (182). The preparation and consumption practices and etiquette of tea became even more elaborate as China moved into the 14th century. “Tea came to be seen as a form of spiritual as well as bodily refreshment” (183) to the people of China.
This prosperous tea drinking society had a distinct advantage to their western neighbors when they arrived in the 16th century. They had superb weapons and very modern inventions, such as the magnetic compass (184-185). This arrival by Europeans, marked the beginning of an onset of imperialism by rivalries from Europe, Russia, and the United States. This would cause China to take a xenophobic view on outsiders and resistance to foreign trade. “Rampant corruption, withering economy, soaring opium consumption caused a once mighty civilization to crumble” …show more content…
Tea was first considered a novelty when it arrived in Europe (185). Although it arrived before coffee, its popularity was slower growing thanks to the unstable supply and resulting high prices (186). Just as in China, tea started out as a medicinal drink in Britain. Dutch doctor Cornelius Bontekoe voiced: “We recommend tea to the entire nation, and to all peoples! We urge every man, every woman, to drink it every day, if possible, every hour” (186-187).
At the beginning of the 18th century teas was costly and hardly anyone in Britain could afford to drink it. It had to be imported from China and was very expensive. People began using a process of adulteration of tea to increase their supply without draining their pocketbooks. Adulteration is the process of cutting the tea leaves with another substance such as sawdust, flowers, or ash “so that the amount consumed was far greater than the amount imported
Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea.
~Author Unknown
When you think of drinking a hot cup of tea, you can’t help but feel rather British. Although tea did not originate in Britain, it certainly found a home there. At a time when the world was speeding up, the shuffle of the Industrial Revolution was embraced by some, avoided by others, and left some scrambling to find their place. Tom Standage’s A History of the World in Six Glasses, cleverly explains tea’s journey across the world and back and its lasting impact on all. As the Lipton tea company so perfectly claims, “Tea can do that”. Tea’s roots in China stem from the Himalayan jungles on the border of India and China. The Buddhist monks of this region …show more content…
Tea tasting and the ability to distinguish between different teas was considered in high regard. In fact, it was considered quite the disgrace if you could not properly make and serve tea. Special “tribute teas” were served to the emperor annually (182). The preparation and consumption practices and etiquette of tea became even more elaborate as China moved into the 14th century. “Tea came to be seen as a form of spiritual as well as bodily refreshment” (183) to the people of China.
This prosperous tea drinking society had a distinct advantage to their western neighbors when they arrived in the 16th century. They had superb weapons and very modern inventions, such as the magnetic compass (184-185). This arrival by Europeans, marked the beginning of an onset of imperialism by rivalries from Europe, Russia, and the United States. This would cause China to take a xenophobic view on outsiders and resistance to foreign trade. “Rampant corruption, withering economy, soaring opium consumption caused a once mighty civilization to crumble” …show more content…
Tea was first considered a novelty when it arrived in Europe (185). Although it arrived before coffee, its popularity was slower growing thanks to the unstable supply and resulting high prices (186). Just as in China, tea started out as a medicinal drink in Britain. Dutch doctor Cornelius Bontekoe voiced: “We recommend tea to the entire nation, and to all peoples! We urge every man, every woman, to drink it every day, if possible, every hour” (186-187).
At the beginning of the 18th century teas was costly and hardly anyone in Britain could afford to drink it. It had to be imported from China and was very expensive. People began using a process of adulteration of tea to increase their supply without draining their pocketbooks. Adulteration is the process of cutting the tea leaves with another substance such as sawdust, flowers, or ash “so that the amount consumed was far greater than the amount imported