S9E09 | First Strike

Processing tea leaves was never an intuitive process. That's one reason it took so long for others to figure out how to do it. But as it was with silk, once you saw how it was done, it wasn't a terrib...

26 Jan 201525min

The hero who assured Robert Fortune's success was Dr. Nathanial Bagshaw Ward. His life and work is introduced this time. Ward's invention of the terrarium was the one thing that ensured Fortune's hard...

25 Jan 201529min

The mid 19th Century brought another sea change to the tea industry. Demand continued to grow all over Europe and North America. China's tea industry, which depended mainly on countless artisanal tea ...

24 Jan 201525min

Midway through the Qing Dynasty trouble is brewing, along with the tens of millions of pounds of tea annually exported to Britain. The Qianlong Emperor rebuffs Britain's envoy and puts a major damper ...

23 Jan 201520min

The tea trade transforms into an entire industry and becomes the most important traded commodity of the British East India Company. Twining's emerges onto the scene along with coffeehouse culture wher...

22 Jan 201524min

As tea did everywhere it was introduced to, Europeans were no less enthusiastic than anyone else. It started off with the royals and aristocrats. But once prices came down and the haves and have-nots ...

21 Jan 201523min

During the late 16th century, the Jesuit Fathers become the first Europeans to drink tea. Soon afterward the Portuguese and Dutch traders start poking their noses around China and Japan. They too lear...

20 Jan 201524min

More Ming Dynasty tea history this time. Innovations from China's tea artisans further improved the taste and experience of tea. The famous "zisha" 紫砂 clay teapots and tea ware from Yixing 宜兴 are intr...

19 Jan 201520min