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Empire of Tea

Exciting and enterprising, bloody and brutal. Sathnam Sanghera tells the story of our national drink and its imperial past.

Radio 4,12 episodes

Episodes

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Omnibus: episodes 6-10
Sathnam Sanghera tells the story of our national drink and its imperial past.
15 Dec 2023,57 mins
10. Tea or Coffee?
Why did tea take off when coffee didn’t?
15 Dec 2023,14 mins
9. A Nice Cup Of Tea
How did a foreign plant become so British?
14 Dec 2023,14 mins
8. One For Each Person and None For The Pot
Did imperial tea really help Britain win the war?
13 Dec 2023,14 mins
7. Punjabi Cha and Masala Chai
How tea, in various forms, became India’s national drink.
12 Dec 2023,14 mins
6. Tough, Tiring, Difficult
Are modern-day problems of tea workers a legacy of British imperialism?
11 Dec 2023,14 mins
Omnibus: episodes 1-5
Sathnam Sanghera tells the story of our national drink and its imperial past.
08 Dec 2023,57 mins
5. Innovation, Espionage and Propaganda
How did the introduction of tea plantations to India change the trade forever?
08 Dec 2023,14 mins
4. The Tea Wars
How did Britain’s sale of opium to buy tea change China’s view of the West?
07 Dec 2023,14 mins
3. The Tea in Boston Harbour
How did imperial tea help shape Britain’s relationship with two superpowers?
06 Dec 2023,14 mins
2. Tea At Work
From fuelling the industrial revolution to the mid-morning break.
05 Dec 2023,14 mins
1. Cosy With A Kick
Tea arrives in Britain as an exotic drink for the elite. But its tale is just beginning.
04 Dec 2023,14 mins