History of tea and War

Throughout the nineteenth century tea continued to play a powerful role as an important commodity. By the end of century tea was an essential part of the daily rations of many armies throughout the world including both British and American.

Tea was considered necessary, not only because of its soothing effects but perhaps more importantly, because tea necessitated boiling water, thus helping to ward off many of the intestinal diseases that had plagued armies for centuries.

Much has been written about the role tea played during the two world wars, not only as necessary refreshment for the troop but also as an item of trade. During the first two wars of World War I, from 1914 to 1916, tea as enjoyed by the British as it had been before the war began.

When German submarines began sinking British ships, however supplies became less available and the price of tea rose dramatically. In response to the scarcity of tea, the government classified it as a luxury and began rationing it to civilians. The public uproar that resulted soon made it clear that tea would have to be reclassified as a basic necessity, essential for keeping up national morale.

The government then took over all tea imports, fixed process and controlled sales. By 1918, all the tea available in Britain was owned and meted out by the government at the rate of two ounces of tea per week per person.

In 1919, after the war ended, normally auctions resumed and consumption rose to three ounces of tea a head weekly by 1931. While both wars did have an impact on the world’s consumption of tea, some things never change, and the British continued to import at an astronomic rate.

Primarily through the efforts of the British owned plantations, 470 million pounds of India tea were plucked in 1945, in spite of the turmoil in India during World War II. This was the largest tea crop ever from India, and British profits in tea increased by 200 percent.
History of tea and War

Tea: From China to Europe

Tea: From China to Europe
Tea continued to gain popularity in China after Tang dynasty. Teahouses first appeared in Song dynasty (960 – 1279 A.D) and quickly spread throughout the country. Teahouses were known as places where one could relax and have a good time.

Black tea which the Chinese called “red tea” was manufactured and consumed in Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644 A.D.). Most of the manufactured black teas were exported and the majority of Chinese remained consuming green tea.

Drinking of tea was considered beneficial to health. In the book ‘Tea Manual’ (Cha Pu) written in Ming Dynasty, the author concluded that “Drinking genuine tea helps quench the thirst, aids digestion, checks phlegm, wards off drowsiness, dispels boredom and dissolves greasy foods.”

In Japan the first tea was brought from China in the early 9th century. China started supplying Russia with small quantities of tea toward the end of the 17th century, and the trade was first carried overland by caravans.

The first tea to reach Europe went by the way of the Dutch who brought the first consignment to Holland in the early part of 17th century. The early supplies of tea entering England were brought over from Holland. In London the first tea was served to the public in 1657. By the mid 1750s tea houses and tea gardens were appearing in and around London.

Tea was soon to become the national drink in the British Isles. An author in the late 18th century described the difference in the way of tea drinking between Chinese and the European. He mentioned that Chinese drank tea without sugar; however, almost everyone in Europe added sugar to tea.

Since then, great changes have taken palaces and the difference, at least in some region, seems to be less prominent in the represent time.
Tea: From China to Europe

Tea: From Japan to Europe

Tea: From Japan to Europe
Monks first introduced tea to Japan in the sixth century, but it wasn’t until the eighth century that cultivation began and tea became an important part of Japanese life. During the fifteenth century, tea masters in Japan developed rituals and symbolism around serving tea that resulted in the Japanese tea ceremony, which is still practiced today with such grace.

The first European port city to experience tea was Amsterdam, during the first few years of the seventeenth century. At first tea was treated as nothing more than a novelty-though a very expensive one. Tea didn’t make it to London for another half-century, but once the Brits found a taste for tea, they were never the same again. The British developed such a mania for tea that it quickly became part of the national culture.

The obsession for tea in England during the nineteenth century had devastating effects half a world away in China and India. As England expanded her imperialistic power, she became more greedy for tea and the profits it engendered. When British that trading opium for tea was more lucrative than buying tea with silver, they quickly developed a huge opium industry in India. The ruling British class in India forced local farmers to grow opium poppies in their field, rather than food crops. The result was hunger and deprivation in India and the Opium Wars and their tragic toll in China.
Tea: From Japan to Europe