For all the Tea in China by Sarah Rose reviewed by Brooke Gschwind “For all the Tea in China -How England Stole the World 's Favorite Drink and Changed History ” as the subtitle foreshadows the story already. Before I had even read the book I assumed it would be
Saberi, H. (2010). Tea Comes to the West. In Tea:A Global History. [Adobe Digital Editions Version]. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/
A avid rebel against of British taxation Samuel Adams helped popularize the disdain in Boston to the newly enforced Stamp Act created by Britain. He also played a major part in the Boston Tea party helping to organize it which was shown as a rebellion towards the Tea Act in
Tea: Tea began as a luxury drink, and then trickled down to become the beverage of the working man. The story of tea is the story of imperialism, industrialization, and world domination. According to Chinese tradition, the first cup of tea was brewed by the emperor Shen Nung. Before tea was a beverage, it was used for medicinal purposes and foodstuff. Tea became a daily drink in China around the third century A.D. As the Industrial Revolution of 18th and 19th centuries gained steam, tea provided some of the fuel. Factory workers stayed alert during long, monotonous shifts thanks to welcome tea breaks. The beverage also had unintended health benefits for rapidly growing urban areas. Chewing leaves and rubbing them on wounds were ways that tea was used for medicinal purposes.
When did the Boston Tea Party take place you may ask? The Boston Tea Party lasted approximately 3 hours on December 16, 1773. Which this time of year in Massachusetts it is extremely cold at night. I bet now you’re wondering why it’s called The Boston Tea party, or why does it contain the word tea. Did we really have a fight over tea? The Boston Tea Party didn’t get this name til the 1820’s. Before then is was called the destruction of the tea.
In the late sixteenth- century Europe adopted a caffeinated warm drink for the first time this included chocolate, tea and coffee. Tea fills the senses with a bittersweet scent. This herb came from china by ship. Unlike cider and beer tea was new to the English-speaking world (49). Starting in the eighteenth- century Europe trading companies began to market green and black tea (51). Before this time period tea was very rare in the west region of British north America. Only the wealthy could originally afford tea and sugar. Tea was also used as a source of herbal medicine rather than traditional methods. This herb was also expensive because it shipped across great distances and allowed the East India Company to charge higher prices and labor added an extra charge. This resulted in tea becoming a luxury item in the colonies (53). The Townshend’s act in 1767 put a tax on tea which Americans responded that parliament could not tax without their consent. This frustrated the colonist because it put their love for tea at risk, so they responded to parliament by aiming at British merchants and manufactures
The Tea that reach America from china inspired new addictions, new trade connections and new forms of luxury, new social critiques and simmering provincial inferiority. Many caffeinated drinks had come before the tea however this was a new drink to the English-speaking world. Nevertheless, this drink did not come without its own problems (50).
Tom Standage’s A History of the World in Six Glasses discusses the importance of six beverages (beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, Coca-Cola), each of which define distinctive periods of civilization. The comparably minor, yet crucial role of water is also represented in support of Standage’s argument regarding not only the necessity of each drink as a requisite to life, but also the role of each drink as a stimulus for cultural diffusion and development. Various historical developments, ranging from water purification to convivia, are utilized to depict each beverage’s appeal and the contributions of each drink towards its respective era of prosperity, subsequently illustrating various historical themes that mark the progression of society
Ella Sarachan 12/3/2015 Ethnography of Tea Background China The origins of tea are rooted in China (Food Timeline). According to legend, the beneficial properties of tea were first discovered by the Emperor Shen Nung in the year 2737 B.C. He drank only boiled water for hygienic purposes, and one day while he drank a breeze rustled the branches of a tree and a few leaves fell into his cup. Creating the first cup of tea. It is challenging to know whether or not the emperor was real or just a part of the spiritual and cultural development of ancient China. China was not unified as an empire until the third century, so it is unlikely emperors existed back then. One thing that is known is that tea was popular in China thousands of years ago. The first written reference of tea is in the third century B.C. A famous surgeon recommended the beverage to patients to increase concentration and alertness. Tea was first written as “tu” in ancient texts. This caused a good deal of confusion because the same Chinese character was used for both tea and Chinese sow thistles. Between 206 B.C. and A.D. 220 a Han Dynasty emperor ruled that when referring to tea, the characters should be pronounced as “cha”. From here on, tracing tea’s history became easier because tea acquired its own individual character (Food Timeline).
Spring details the century between 1450 and 1550. Brook opens the chapter with Zheng Tao’s statement, “Those who went out as merchants became numerous, and ownership of land was no longer esteemed (Brook, p. 86). The soaring trade practice resulted in fluctuating opinions regarding merchants. Despite the commercial success, merchants were responsible for disrupting the Confucian social order. The resulting effects upon gentry culture are soon apparent.
Introduction- “Vital Fluids” 1. The author’s main thesis in setting up his book is that six beverages have had a great influence on the history of the world, and understanding their origins can help to explain many of the world’s fields and phenomenons. 2. These fluids are vital because they are the core
Since the beginning of time, ethics and standards have been passed down from generation to generation. China has been a country that has always implemented strategies to contain and protect this energy into a systematic process. In doing so, their Chinese heritage was protected and passed along, creating a strong culture. We know China as having pretty colors and dancing dragons, and visit these cultural microcosms in their restaurants built in the United States. We crack open our cookie revealing our fortunes, disregarding the fundamental background of the restaurant we sit in. We may appreciate the taste and service of the restaurant, but don’t think about the dish’s symbolic nature.
Fay states, “This was the routine of the old China trade. These were the commodities traditionally brought to China and traditionally carried away. And at the heart of the trade was tea. It came from no other place. India did not then produce any, nor Ceylon, Java, or Formosa; Japan was inaccessible; the world perforce drank China teas. Above all, the English drank them” (17).
When I was on middle school, I spent my holiday vacation with my family to go to China. I went to some part of China such as Beijing, Luoyang, Shanghai and the others, but I only remembered the one in the Beijing mostly. I was really surprised that China got many cultures that I had not known before. These cultures include food, history and some local tradition. In this essay, I will tell my experience in China and some China’s culture that I have gotten in my trip.
Chen Zongmao’s book supports the whole view of my research paper. It introduces the development of tea in different historic stages, and especially focuses on the culture of tea in different time. Moreover, it states Chinese tea from all the aspects such as tea’s category, how to drink tea, how to plant etc. This book is like a tea Encyclopedia that le