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Empire of Tea Episodes

  1.

    Omnibus: episodes 6-10

    Sathnam Sanghera tells the story of our national drink and its imperial past.

  2. 10. Tea or Coffee?

    Why did tea take off when coffee didn’t?

  3. 9. A Nice Cup of Tea

    How did a foreign plant become so British?

  4. 8. One for Each Person and None for the Pot

    Did imperial tea really help Britain win the war?

  5. 7. Punjabi Cha and Masala Chai

    How tea, in various forms, became India’s national drink.

  6. 6. Tough, Tiring, Difficult

    Are the modern-day problems faced by tea workers a legacy of British imperialism?

  7. Omnibus: episodes 1-5

    Sathnam Sanghera tells the story of our national drink and its imperial past.

  8. 5. Innovation, Espionage and Propaganda

    How the introduction of tea plantations to India changed the trade forever.

  9. 4. The Tea Wars

    How Britain’s sale of opium to buy tea changed China’s view of the west.

  10. 3. The Tea in Boston Harbour

    How imperial tea played a role in shaping Britain’s relationship with two superpowers.

  11. 2. Tea at Work

    From fuelling the industrial revolution to the mid-morning break.

  12. 1. Cosy with a Kick

    Tea arrives in Britain as an exotic drink for the elite. But its tale is just beginning.