Paul Revere may be known as the herald of the Colonies' war with England, but a tea tax was the underlying economic trigger. By the end of the 18th Century tea was no longer solely the drink of the aristocratic and wealthy. Powerful trading monopolies with fast new sailing ships brought tea from China to Britain and Holland at a price that soon made it available throughout the population. The tax levied on tea supplied to the colonies symbolized their strained relationship as the American economy prospered. Colonists boycotted tea and prevented the cargo from coming ashore. And then the Boston Tea Party. Hundreds of crates tossed overboard. Followed by the War of Independence. The world order changed, but tea did not. We drink today the same varieties enjoyed Since Chinese Emperor San Nong, in 2737 BC found tea leaves by chance in his boiled drinking water.
Tea comes from the tropical plant Camellia sinensis. Today tea bushes cover about 6 million acres of the earth. All styles of tea come from the same bush. The geography and timing of the harvest along with the method of processing yield the variations we know as Black, Oolong, Green and White tea. For your tea drinking pleasure, visit the web pages of Mark T. Wendell, Tea Company tea purveyor since 1904. Order their Hu-Kwa Tea. Enjoy
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