Tea and the Empress of China

China tea was a British obsession. It sparked a global battle which ran for two centuries, leading almost to the collapse of the world’s biggest country. China’s saviour was a no-nonsense princess who shrewdly kept the predatory trading powers at arm’s length. This is a story of spies, greyhound-like ships and a successful plan to “transplant China into India” – and all because we love our “cuppa.”