A fascinating read about how tea became the national drink in Great Britain, as Scots expanded trade from British colonies. This is a story of enterprising travelers, explorers, traders and government officials who brought tea from China and India, introducing and promoting the drink in the British Isles and beyond. Now hundreds of millions of cups are consumed every day in the United Kingdom. The story is one of how a single chest of tea imported from China by the East India Trading Company into Britain in 1664 eventually created the world-changing demand we have today. Merchants, missionaries, grocery store owners and historians all play a role in this story, which will be of interest to those who just love tea as well as to coffee drinkers who wish to understand how one product, and the Scottish people involved with it, can shape empires and national destinies as well as our morning outlook. 260 page hardcover book.
