But for many people in the UK, tea still has an impact close to home. “By drinking tea, the British were participating in a process of national myth-making,” says Richard Coulton, a lecturer in English at Queen Mary University of London and one of the co-authors of Empire of Tea. ‘Ellis. “I think when Brits today get excited about the perfect cup of tea, part of what’s happening is a latent cultural desire to hold on to that feeling of wanting to experiment and to articulate mastery world, or at least a nostalgia for the stories of that glorious past.”
And people love talking about tea because it’s everywhere. “Tea sets the tone for our day,” says Vogler. “It’s something that’s a very important part of your daily rhythm – it’s like your commute.”
However, she continues, “it’s also partly because of everything we’ve talked about: the over-identification with tea, for all these historical reasons. And I say that as a total tea fanatic. I loves tea.”
BBC.com The world table “breaks the kitchen ceiling” by changing the way the world views food, across the past, present and future.
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