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Posted on 06/30/2026 4:01:11 PM PDT by Libloather
When Americans think of the beverage that fueled the American Revolution, they usually picture black tea — but it turns out that green tea was just as popular.
The Founding Fathers and their contemporaries drank both types of tea, Bruce Richardson, the Kentucky-based founder of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas, told Fox News Digital.
British subjects “were as likely to be drinking green tea as black tea, whether you were in Jane Austen [era] England … or you were in colonial Boston,” he added.
“There were five teas, all from China, because that was the only country that was exporting tea,” Richardson said. “And of those five different teas, two of them were green and three of them were black.”
Richardson, a tea historian who works as the tea master at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, said the five types of tea dumped into Boston Harbor in protest of the Tea Act of 1773 included three black varieties — Bohea, Souchong and Congou — as well as the green teas Hyson and Singlo.
Bohea, the most common and least expensive black tea of the era, was often made from older tea leaves harvested after the highest-quality leaves of the season had already been picked.
Most of the tea dumped into Boston Harbor was Bohea, Richardson said — and it was so ubiquitous that he compared it to the way Kleenex has become synonymous with tissues today.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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December 16, 1773. And so ice tea was invented.
Ain’t no party like a Boston Tea Party cause a...
Fascinating glimpse into a day in the life of a Revolutionary War patriot in NYC
https://nypost.com/2026/06/30/us-news/what-life-was-like-for-revolutionary-war-patriots-in-nyc/
The natives of Massachusetts will get close to being violent about iced tea.
One lady in Easter Massachusetts who’s air suspension I was working on asked (winter time) what I was drinking from my one gallon jug.
*Iced tea.
She rage at me ‘How dare I bring iced tea to her home.’
FReeper natives also will not tell me what the deal is.
I once read somewhere, don’t know how true it is, the “Tea Party” was not really a simple symbolic act, it was a large amount of Tea thrown into the harbor and represented serious amount of money lost.
In a similar vein, it isn’t widely known but Tobacco helped finance the fledgling economy, one of the few exports that couldn’t be undercut by perfidious Albion. Tobacco, then, deserves a nod towards our ultimate history and place of freedom as a people.
Coffee took off in America was another result of the unpleasantness. Lewis & Clark took 50 pounds of green beans with them on their expedition. Not enough to last very long between the two officers. They weren’t sharing it with the party too often. They wanted their Whiskey ration, I expect.
The ruling junta here is far more tyrannical than King George's taxation, yet here we are, fat, dumb, and happy just days shy of the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence.
Most of the people living in this state are undeserving of the liberty they inherited from the brave patriots of The Revolution, several of whom are buried in my town's cemetery.
I’ve heard estimates of between $800K and $1million in modern currency
The far left idjit, Gwen Ifill, mocked Sarah Palin for telling the Tea Party Not to Party like it’s 1773. Ifill said it happened in 1776 Doh!
Iced coffee was ‘invented’ in Massachusetts and then went national.
For that reason alone, I will not buy iced coffee nor accept if offered.
“Bohea Tea” was so ubiquitous that it became the “Kleenex” of its day. But then the Patriots renamed it “Bohica Tea” to taunt the Red Coats.
True fact.
I always thought they were “chickens” for dressing “Native” to hide their identity.
Bohica Tea?..................
I wonder how much of that tea ended up in Boston tea pots the next day?
Read somewhere all flavors come from only 1 tea tree species.
Decided to double-check on GROK AI...
How Different Flavors Are Created:
Even though they come from the same tea tree (or bush), the wide variety of teas results from:
Processing methods (the biggest factor):
Green tea — Leaves are quickly heated (steamed or pan-fired) to prevent oxidation → fresh, grassy flavor.
Black tea — Leaves are fully oxidized (wilted, rolled, and exposed to air) → bold, malty, brisk taste.
Oolong tea — Partially oxidized → somewhere between green and black, often floral or fruity.
White tea — Minimally processed (just withered and dried) → delicate, subtle sweetness.
Pu-erh — Fermented and aged → earthy, deep flavor.
Leaf parts used: Buds only (e.g., silver needle white tea), young leaves, or mature leaves.
Growing conditions (terroir):Altitude, soil, climate, and harvest season affect taste (e.g., high-mountain vs. lowland teas).
Specific cultivars/varieties of Camellia sinensis (e.g., sinensis vs. assamica) influence base flavor.
Flavorings & Blends (for “flavored” teas):Many commercial teas (e.g., Earl Grey, chai, fruit-flavored, mint tea) start with Camellia sinensis and then add essential oils, herbs, flowers, spices, or dried fruit.
These are not pure tea — they’re flavored tea blends.
Exceptions (Not from the Tea Tree)Herbal teas (”tisanes”) like chamomile, peppermint, rooibos, hibiscus, ginger, or lemon balm come from completely different plants — not Camellia sinensis at all.
These are caffeine-free (or very low) and botanically unrelated to true tea.
Quick Summary for YouTrue teas (green, black, white, oolong, pu-erh, etc.) → Same plant, different processing.
Flavored teas (e.g., blueberry green tea, chai) → Usually same plant + added flavors.
Herbal “teas” → Different plants entirely.
This is why plain green tea is a pure, simple option with natural antioxidants and minimal processing. If you’re exploring teas during or after a fast, stick to unflavored Camellia sinensis varieties for the cleanest experience.
We prepared a cup of tea
In one of the biggest dishes
I mean we seeped it in the sea
And treated all the fishes!
Lalalala We treated all the fishes!
England had other sources of cotton?
Hm, good point. Egypt, and maybe others. Tobacco was a big player though.
I don’t “get” tea of any kind. Too wimpy. Give me strong black coffee. I could get revolutionary about coffee.
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