Tea Symbol in A History of the World in Six Glasses

As with coffee, tea began to take on symbolic meaning in the instant that it became a European beverage (it was symbolic long before that in Eastern cultures, but Standage touches on this very little). The British fondness for tea is world-famous, and in Six Glasses, tea can be said to symbolize not only Britain but the British Empire as well. Indeed, the Empire fought more than one war with the goal of ensuring the flow of tea from its colonies into Britain. Even today, tea is most popular in countries that were once colonies of the British Empire—a reminder of the strong cultural and symbolic association between the beverage and the nation that consumed it.

Tea Quotes in A History of the World in Six Glasses

The A History of the World in Six Glasses quotes below all refer to the symbol of Tea. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

In some European nations, and particularly in Britain, coffee was challenged by tea imported from China. Its popularity in Europe helped to open lucrative trade routes with the East and underpinned imperialism and industrialization on an unprecedented scale, enabling Britain to become the first global superpower.

Related Symbols: Coffee, Tea

Page Number and Citation: 5

Explanation and Analysis:

For the poor, tea gradually became an affordable luxury, and then a necessity: tricks such as stretching a small quantity of tea with the addition of more water or reusing tea leaves, finally brought the drink within everyone’s reach, in some form at least.

Related Symbols: Tea

Page Number and Citation: 172

Explanation and Analysis:

Just as deskbound clerks, businessmen, and intellectuals had taken to coffee in the seventeenth century, the workers in the new factories of the eighteenth century embraced tea. It was the beverage best suited to these new working arrangements and helped industrialization along in a number of ways. Mill owners began to offer their employees free “tea breaks” as a perk.

Related Symbols: Tea

Page Number and Citation: 200

Explanation and Analysis:

Britain has remained a nation of tea drinkers ever since [the glory days of the British Empire]. And around the world, the historical impact of its empire and the drink that fueled it can still be seen today.

Related Symbols: Tea

Page Number and Citation: 220

Explanation and Analysis:

Tea Symbol Timeline in A History of the World in Six Glasses

The timeline below shows where the symbol Tea appears in A History of the World in Six Glasses. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...understand important things about human culture. He singles out six drinks: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola. Each one was “the defining drink during a pivotal historical period.” (full context)

In the 18th and 19th century, tea became the defining drink of the British Empire. As the British Empire colonize the world,... (full context)

...a huge amount of territory in such places as New Zealand, Canada, India, and Australia. Tea, Standage argues, linked all these areas together. (full context)

Tea was invented in China, supposedly by the Emperor Shen Nung. The Emperor considered tea a... (full context)

Like many other drinks, tea was used as a form of currency in China: it was popular and commonly consumed... (full context)

Tea drinking was also popular in Japan. Japanese tea drinking ceremonies were complex, almost mystical rituals... (full context)

Tea reached Europe in the 16th century, when European sailors first arrived in China, then the... (full context)

For various reasons, Britain became the nation most heavily associated with tea. The British began their world-famous love for tea in the 1660s, when King Charles II... (full context)

In the 1730s, England became filled with tea gardens—public spaces where women and men could drink tea together. The tea garden was popular... (full context)

...mills where workers controlled spinning frames as they produced clothing. Arkwright gave his workers regular tea breaks. Tea, he found, was a sensible drink, because it was sterile (water had to... (full context)

The popularity of tea encouraged the Industrial Revolution in many ways. Not only were workers given tea at factories... (full context)

...scientific tradition, a strong work ethic, large supplies of coal, etc. But the demand for tea also played a small but important role in the era: tea was a sterile, healthy... (full context)

...one of the most powerful organizations in the world. This company was responsible for obtaining tea supplies from around the world, colonizing entire countries to do so. The company’s influence was... (full context)

...1780s, the British East India Company was in good shape, largely because new sources of tea resulted in lower tea prices throughout the British Empire. These low prices made tea smuggling... (full context)

...that Britain should have a balance of trade with China because it purchased so much tea from China. As a result, opium quickly became the commodity that Britain exchanged with China... (full context)

...the 1700s was the wealthiest and most sophisticated country on the planet. The demand for tea had thus changed British foreign policy—and world history. (full context)

...Britain had fought an entire war to ensure its ability to trade opium—and thus consume tea from China—it also pursued ways of growing its own tea. In the early 1800s, it... (full context)

Although the British Empire knew that it could grow tea in Assam, it wasn’t clear how tea bushes should be cultivated to ensure maximum production.... (full context)

At present, India is still the world’s biggest producer of tea, thanks in no small part to the work of Charles Bruce. India is also the... (full context)

A History of the World in Six Glasses

Thomas Standage

Tea Symbol Analysis

Tea Quotes in A History of the World in Six Glasses

Tea Symbol Timeline in A History of the World in Six Glasses