Book Review Tea Gathering: A Thirst For Empire by Erika Rappaport Roy L

A Thirst for Empire: How Tea Shaped the Modern World by Erika Rappaport PURCHASE A COPY BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Thirst-Empire-Shaped-Modern-World/dp/0691167117 It is by no means necessary to finish the book prior to the chat, but we strongly encourage participants to come with at least 1 quote, passage, fact that resonated with them, as we will be fostering equity of voice and encouraging all participants to share and make a connection to the text. ~~~~ Recently Ken Cohen interviewed Erika Rappaport, author of A Thirst for Empire, on his September 2019 podcast episode of Talking Tea, entitled Gender, Empire, and the Making of the Western Tea Market. In the podcast, they discuss many topics, giving insight to all the forces which helped to shape our modern-day tea culture. LISTEN TO TALKING TEA'S PODCAST BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK; https://talkingteapodcasts.com/2019/09/20/gender-empire-and-the-making-of-the-western-tea-market/ ~~~~ If you wish to join us with tea, we will be brewing and drinking Anvongrove Estate Darjeeling. PURCHASE AVONGROVE ESTATE DARJEELING BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK; https://www.newyorkteasociety.com/product-page/darjeeling-avongrove-estate-2nd-flush ABOUT AVONGROVE ESTATE: In Darjeeling in the foothills of the Himalayas, spread across two hillsides thickly populated with tea bushes on the crests and thick forest in the valleys, the beautiful Avongrove tea estate overlooks the Balasun River meandering along its course below. Avongrove manufactures tea the traditional way, nurturing every leaf from the time it is carefully hand-picked to when it is packed with pride as the finest Darjeeling. Teams of fifteen pluck different sections of the estate, taking care to ensure that the leaves are just the right size for the finest quality, handling plucked bundles gently so they don’t get crushed or ruptured. The processing factory is masterfully and constantly monitored by veteran managers, continuously tasting and making adjustments so a rich and lasting flavor is drawn. The various processes of withering or removing moisture, gentle rolling, oxidizing, and finally firing of the leaf must be perfectly tuned as the optimum ratio differs from season to season and even day to day. ~~~~ PART 1 has four chapters that trace the origin of tea production and consumption in East Asia, as well as the spread of the plant and the taste for it in Asia and beyond. ~~~~ PART 2 traces the patterns of tea consumption in Britain and across the British Empire along two distinct dimensions: (1) by the upper classes as a social drink (typically the English “high tea”); and (2) by the masses as a symbol of the commonwealth or shared identity within the Empire. ~~~~ PART 3 is an open-ended reflection on the decline of tea consumption after World War II, when other beverages, such as coffee and Coca Cola, came to the fore. It suggests that tea became the victim of another zero-sum game. The advantageous influence of mass consumption was weaker than one might think.message of “Britishness.”