Hey #medievaltwitter does anyone have references to scholarship on the question of why medieval Europeans did not import tea? They had access to Chinese products, so why not tea? My search for "tea" on the IMB turned up bupkis.
-
-
Replying to @sdavissecord
What an interesting question! In addition to things already mentioned, I'd guess tea=heavier than eg pepper per "portion" (40–60 times, by my very rough est.), would that be a factor in reducing supply/demand? Also recall reading spread of tea drinking in east linked to Buddhism?
5 replies 0 retweets 27 likes -
Replying to @caitlinrgreen
Thanks! Pepper was far from the only "spice" imported in bulk from China--all kinds of things like alum and dyestuffs and many, many other eastern products that could also have been heavier or lighter depending. And ceramics were way heavier, but they were imported into Muslim
3 replies 0 retweets 17 likes -
Replying to @sdavissecord @caitlinrgreen
world by sea, regardless of weight. But I don't think tea was commonly enjoyed the Muslim world either at this time, right?
3 replies 0 retweets 11 likes -
Replying to @sdavissecord @caitlinrgreen
The link to eastern religious and cultural practices might be a clue--like, maybe even Persian and Arab traders who visited or even lived in China didn't have cultural access there to tea or any reason to try it? They imported tea bowls (ok, not many, but the Belitung wreck
1 reply 0 retweets 14 likes -
Replying to @sdavissecord @caitlinrgreen
had some ceramics that were ID'd as tea bowls) but not tea?
2 replies 0 retweets 10 likes -
Replying to @sdavissecord
This might work! Bowls, ofc, might be originally tea bowls but in importing culture simply be treated as luxury ceramic and used otherwise? Hmm....!
1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
Fwiw, two 15thC references to envoys from Arabia soliciting tea leaves :) https://archive.org/stream/medievalresearc00bretgoog#page/n318 …pic.twitter.com/ypBwRlkFD5
-
-
Replying to @caitlinrgreen @sdavissecord
And an Arabic reference to tea in China from c.900, showing an early awareness: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=02kFBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA49#v=onepage&q&f=false …pic.twitter.com/e9Foa0d7C2
0 replies 0 retweets 1 likeThanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.