A brief history of tea

[speedy]

Considering the sillness of this forum the topic is sure to come up. Everyone knows how Brits love their tea. So before d4n13l claims that to be a British invertion here's some facts:

Tea long popular throughout Asia, eventually capuring the interest of explorers from Europe. It was the famed East India Trading Company that formally introduced tea to England in the early 1600's. It was a Scotsman, not a Brit named Sir Thomas J. Lipton, that popularized the beverage in America in the 1890's.

And surprise, it was Thomas Sullivan an AMERICAN who decided to package loose tea in small hand-sewn silk bags. Right. TEA BAGS. Not really what he planned. His idea was simply to package the tea. However his customers, the always clever Americans just went ahead and brewed the tea in the little bags. LOL! Lipton later improved on the design and in 1952 the 4-sided flow-thru tea back was born and the design is still in use today.

Iced tea also started in America at the World's Fair in St. Louis. Richard Blechynden, a merchant of Indian tea, faced the dubious task of selling hot tea to crowds sweltering in the summer heat. In desperation, he poured his tea over ice and the cool, copper-colored beverage was an instant sensation.

[d4n13l]

Speedy old pal,
Well done, nice post breifing everybody on the introduction of Tea. 9 out of 10.
---
One small point: A Scotsman is a Brit. A Scotsman is not an English man. Britain is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and adjacent islands. A Scotsman may resent this (and I may be inclined to agree with him) but a Scotsman is a Brit.




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: d4n13l on 2001-09-30 05:54:11 ]</font>

[humdinger]

so let me get this straight... there are really people out there who are willing to sit down and research the history of tea, just to say 'my country is better than yours'????? if only all that researching energy could be put towards doing something useful......

[speedy]

Has nothing to do with "research engery" as you put it. Some people know how to use Search Engines efficiently, others don't.

Nothing to do with saying "my country is better than yours" either. Again, some people are just smarter than others. As d4n13l is learning.

[d4n13l]

speedy (mouth), you are so much smarter than me. You are right too - We all live and learn everyday - Now I know all about the history of Tea. Thanks.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: d4n13l on 2001-10-01 10:54:49 ]</font>

[d4n13l]

Oh... and now you have learned a Scotsman is a Brit too. hehe


BTW have you ever read S.Hawkings 'A Brief History of Time'? I would recommend it to anyone, a fascinating read.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: d4n13l on 2001-10-01 11:03:44 ]</font>