A Dark History of Tea

There was a commercial benefit to green tea falling out of favour, for while both black and green teas are made from the leaves of the same plant, black tea is oxidised and therefore is drier and more compact than the wetter green tea. This made it better suited to long-haul journeys in terms of lower spoilage risks, and being drier it was suitable for compressing and compacting, thus saving space on board ships and in turn increasing profits. Therefore, any concerns about green tea would be commercially exploited wherever possible. Tea adulteration became so prolific that green tea was soon considered far more of a health risk than opium.

Tea was fast replacing gin as the blight on moral and physical wellbeing according to the medical community. Like tea, gin started out as a medicine. It was thought to be a cure fir gout and indigestion, but most attractive of all was its cheapness and availability. During the 1730s notices could be seen all over London. The message was short and to the point: ‘Drunk for 1 penny. Dead drunk for tuppence. Straw for nothing.’