This was probably one of the first histories of tea that I read and the reason I know the difference between low tea and high tea (leading to the realisation that most restaurants in Singapore use the phrase ‘high tea’ wrongly). So obviously I had to revisit this book, if only to refresh my memory.
Tea: The Drink that Changed the World is divided into ten chapters, namely:
1. From Shrub to Cup – An overview of how tea is made
2. History and Legend – Looking at the different legends of how tea came about, starting with Sheng Nong.
3. Tea in Ancient China and Korea – A quick jaunt through Chinese tea history, covering the Tang dynasty, Lu Yu and the Tea Classic/Classic of Tea, the impact of the imperial tea tribute, the Song dynasty and even tea in Tibet. The section on tea in Korea was really brief and it would have been nice if there was more detail.
4. Tea in Ancient Japan
5. The Japanese Tea Ceremony – This chapter and the one preceding it should be seen as a set, since one talks about the introduction and rise of tea and the other about the tea ceremony. It is a good introduction to the topic, but if you’re looking to go really in-depth about the tea ceremony and why it’s seen as a symbol of Japanese culture, I would highly recommend the book Making Tea, Making Japan.
6. Tea in the Ming Dynasty – We’re back to Chinese culture as steeped tea finally appears on the scene (up until now it was all powdered teas) and the tea pot starts to take off. There was a brief mention of how Korean potters were taken to Japan, mainly in Karatsu, which reminded me of my visit to Okawachiyama, a hidden pottery village in Saga where Korean potters also worked and died. (But that’s probably another blog post for another time)
7. Tea Spreads Throughout the World – Tea moves from East to West as it starts to gain popularity around the globe, leading to
8. The British in India, China, and Ceylon – The British are probably one of the biggest tea drinkers in the world and this chapter helps to unpack why and how it came to be. Robert Fortune and his IP theft of tea is also covered but if you want a detailed account of his adventure, I would recommend the book For All the Tea in China.
9. Tea in England and the United States – Afternoon Tea comes into being and America struggles with its feelings about tea (which are complicated because tea is so British at this point in time).
10. Today and Tomorrow – The last chapter of the book, it looks at the state of tea in the early 2000s. Sadly, a fair bit of tea is grown under terrible working conditions and a cheap cup of tea may actually come with a heavy human cost. It’s a good reminder for us to be more responsible about where we get our teas from.
At the end of the book are several appendices, about where tea is grown and the different types of tea and herbal teas.
Overall, this book is an excellent introduction to tea and its history. I find it pretty balanced in terms of attention given to tea in the East and West, and makes for a good starting point if you intend to go deeper into tea history.