Tea and Tea Drinking

This volume takes listeners on a winding journey from the misty tea plantations of China to the bustling streets of 17th‑century London. It traces how a rare, expensive leaf first appeared in a diary entry and gradually became a staple on English tables, weaving together anecdotes of merchants, royal households, and curious quakers. Along the way, the narrative sketches the early advertisements, lavish handbills and social rituals that turned tea into a national pastime.

The second half shifts focus to the plant itself, describing the painstaking steps of cultivation, harvesting and processing that turn leaf into brew. It also examines tea’s reputation as a stimulant and a health aid, the customs of tea‑meetings, and the massive revenue stream it generated for traders and governments. Listeners will come away with a richer appreciation of how a simple drink shaped economies, social habits, and even ideas about well‑being.