We're replacing BBC Sounds outside the UK and bringing you BBC.com, a seamless way to read, watch, and listen - all in one place.

Visit bbc.com/audio or need more help?

Empire of Tea

Sathnam Sanghera tells the story of our national drink and its imperial past.

Radio 4,12 episodes

Episodes

ListGrid

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 the modern-day problems faced by 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 the introduction of tea plantations to India changed the trade forever.
08 Dec 2023,14 mins
4. The Tea Wars
How Britain’s sale of opium to buy tea changed China’s view of the west.
07 Dec 2023,14 mins
3. The Tea in Boston Harbour
How imperial tea played a role in shaping 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