Today, we are releasing a full episode of the excellent podcast English Learning for Curious Minds.

If you like it, then search in your app for English Learning for Curious Minds, or go to https://www.leonardoenglish.com/

Free transcripts and vocabulary guide here : https://bit.ly/HistoryOfTeaTranscript

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It's the second most popular drink in the world after water, with 3.7 billion cups drunk every single day.

In this episode, we explore tea's fascinating history, how it changed global politics, caused countries to go to war with each other, and literally changed the world.
How much tea do we really drink every year?

- Myths about the discovery of tea
- Early tea consumption in East Asia
- Tea first being brought to Northern Europe
- Catherine of Braganza: the woman who brought tea to Britain
- Tea and The East India Company
- The Brits adding sugar to tea
- Britain struggling to find a product to exchange with China for tea
- Flooding China with opium
- The Opium Wars
- Sending spies deep into China to discover how tea was made
- Tea cultivation in British colonies
- Curious tea fact #1: The three different word groups for "tea" (and what they tell us)
- Curious tea fact #2: The invention of the teabag
- Curious tea fact #3: How to make the perfect cup of tea (advice from an expert)

Free transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://bit.ly/HistoryOfTeaTranscript