The Story of a Leaf (Episode 5)

This country has the highest consumption of tea in the world. For the sake of tea, they have embarked on the most perilous journeys and started the most brutal wars. They are masters at blending tea leaves and have also created the popular culture of afternoon tea. But this country doesn't produce its own tea. This is the story of English tea. It is a story of paradoxes. It is the story close to our hearts. The highest consumption of tea in the world is not in China or India. It is in England. But England has never produced its own tea. For the sake of tea, they have sacrificed everything. Money, sea voyages, and started wars. Why are the British so incredibly obsessed with tea? Yong Fan is a sailing enthusiast from Fuzhou. His profession is also related to boats. He makes models of old sailing ships for museums and private collectors. Yong Fan loves the sailing ships of the 19th century, especially the king of the seas at the time, the clipper. The clipper was invented because of tea. It was made so the tea could be transported more quickly to Europe. In the 19th century, black tea and oolong tea from Fujian were the craze all around the world. Most of the tea leaves were exported to England. The main mode of transportation for these leaves was the clipper ship. The clipper was the last big leap in traditional wooden ship design. Its shape is bold and audacious. The hull has become narrower. The masts are now four to five stories high. And the area of the sails is twice as big as before. This maximizes wind power on the sea. These design changes only mean one thing. Faster speeds. The clipper can transport tea even faster now. Traditional sailing ships took a year to sail from China to Europe. The clipper cut that time down to only 56 days. The faster speeds also meant that the hull had to withstand greater resistance. This made it much less safe. When the clipper ships were transporting tea out of China, ten of them would leave from Fuzhou, but only three or four of them would reach London. The voyage undertaken to transport tea was a risky one. The faster a ship could reach London, the more money it could make. When the clipper appeared in the 19th century, 10% of every English household's expenditure was spent on tea. The consumption of tea was 200 times more than it was before. The country was fast running out of silver. The English started getting worried about this. What would they use to buy tea from China in the future? At the time, China had no use for England's industrial products. So the English merchants decided to import opium into China from India. This inevitably caused the disastrous Opium War in 1840. The Opium War was actually also a tea war. The port of Fuzhou was open for trade after the Opium War. It became the most important tea exporting port in the world. Every weekend, young Fan and his friends would explore the old buildings of the port. The people here can still hear the hustle and bustle of the old port a hundred years ago in their memory. You get used to it after living here for decades. Yes, it's a little run down, but that's okay. So that would be the Qing Dynasty. There were seven or eight peers in this area alone. Most of them were for tea leaves. There were many foreigners in Fuzhou at the time because of the tea. The warehouses and the foreign firms were all in the tea business. The river near Mawei at the time was filled with clipper ships. There's even a song about the story of Fuzhou, London and tea. The port of Fuzhou prospered because of tea. There were clipper ships all around then. This continued until the end of the 19th century. With the rise of steamships, the former king of the sea, the clipper ship slowly lost its power. On the 26th of April 2012, the last tea clipper in the world, the Cutty Sark, was opened to the public in Greenwich, London after a period of restoration. The clipper ship was a witness to the prosperity of the tea trade in the 19th century. It took less than 200 years from the time of its introduction for tea to completely grip England. The person who introduced tea to England was a Portuguese princess that was in 1662. Jane is a consultant at the UK Tea and Infusions Association. Kirsty is her new student. Their first class together is about the story of the tea drinking queen, Catherine. She, I think, had very little idea about what she was going to find in life here in Britain. But her great comfort was actually tea drinking. And she brought a box of tea. They say she brought a little casket with about three pounds of tea. And so she set the fashion, really. And everybody copied her way of brewing tea and drinking the tea. And it became a new trend. So she's been written about many times since then as being the first tea drinking English queen. The tea drinking queen won over the upper classes of England. The trend that she brought with her has lasted more than 400 years now. But she didn't manage to win over her husband. Charles II had numerous affairs and at least 14 illegitimate children. Queen Catherine never had children. When she was 54 years old, she was sent back to Portugal. Catherine probably never thought that the tea that had accompanied her during her lonely days here would later become the only reason English people still remember her. This is the first time Kirstie has ever heard of the tea drinking queen. This is the first lesson in her tea class. Kirstie is learning about tea so that she can find a job. I've always lived in Islington. My mum is a full-time housewife. I tried to look for a job in retail but it was really hard as there's no job to go in. To better understand tea, they have come to a Chinese tea house in London. Jane plans to teach Kirstie about green tea here. This is a tea from Shandong, Laoshan Mountain. It's the same cultivar as... Amazing. Very tiny. Some leaves are quite big actually but it's this lovely curliness. They're like little springs, some of them. Thank you. You're welcome. Before they even finish the tea, Kirstie suddenly leaves the table. Do you want coffee in the morning? No, thank you. Because it could have just made, because it can make you feel a bit sort of swingy and... A good glass of water? Yes, that would be nice. It is Kirstie's first time drinking green tea. She can't get used to the taste. In the early 17th century, when the Dutch brought green tea back to Europe, most people thought that it tasted like medicine. When tea first appeared in Europe's apothecaries, it was packaged in small bags because of how expensive it was. Europeans viewed green tea as a magical oriental herb. The English poet Lord Byron even wrote about green tea in his poems. In one of his poems, he wrote, Here I must leave him, for I grow pathetic, moved by the Chinese nymph of tears, green tea. The green tea that 17th century Europeans fell in love with is still being produced in China. The earliest green tea to be exported to Europe is Songluo tea from Xuning County, Anhui. This is the heir to the Songluo tea technique, Yu Chengzi. His family has been cultivating tea in this mountain for generations now. He still uses his age-old family technique to produce the tea. The Songluo tea technique came into being during the early Ming dynasty. 300 years ago, when the tea trade between China and Europe first began, Songluo tea was at the height of its popularity. According to the trade records of the East India Company in 1702, two-thirds of the tea in an entire ship was Songluo tea. The first tea to take over Europe set sail from the ancient Tunsi pier over 300 years ago. The golden era of Songluo tea lasted until the 18th century, before it was overtaken by other famous teas. But Europeans still long for its unique and authentic taste. The organic green tea produced in Xuning County, Anhui today, is still being exported. Just like several hundred years ago, its final destination is still Europe. In the early 18th century, very few people in England were drinking tea. But by the end of the 18th century, everyone in England was in love with tea. So it's just part of our culture in this country. I think the connection of British tea for me, and I think for most British people, is there's always an idea of home and comfort and safety and security. To put your screen back in the saucer, to hold your cup very elegantly, not to make a lot of noise, to be well behaved, to sit up straight, to use your fingers carefully, to eat your sandwiches. So that was part of my family life when I was a little girl. But today, maybe people don't know so much about it. The first afternoon tea was born 200 years ago. The wealthy classes in England customarily had two full meals. But the afternoon hours between meals were long and made people hungry. So the Duchess of Bedford thought of a solution. She prepared a few pieces of bread and butter, jam, a pot of good Chinese tea, and invited her good friends over. This trend soon caught on with the English upper classes, and later with the common folk. English afternoon tea begins at four in the afternoon. The mistress of the house would pick the best room in the house to serve her guests with the most expensive teaware she had. She would first pour the tea, then add milk. The exquisitely made snacks were placed on a three-tier stand. They started from the bottom tier and made their way to the top tier, so that the flavors would go from savory to sweet. Since the 18th century, people started using black tea instead of green tea in their afternoon tea sessions. The color of black tea resembles that of red wine. It is very inclusive of other tastes. It blends well with milk, sugar, and other spices, making it a perfect match for the European taste palette. In the 1850s, England experienced the Industrial Revolution. The use of boiling water in making tea killed bacteria and improved workers' health. It also had the unexpected effect of reducing the number of alcoholics on the streets. During the Industrial Revolution, tea became part of the lives of common Englishmen. The simple elegance of tea brought a new meaning to the afternoon hours. When the clock strikes four, time stops for tea. Every English person drinks an average of three cups of tea per day. The most popular places to have afternoon tea are usually not fancy five-star hotels. Betty's Cafe Tea Rooms in the North Yorkshire town of Harrogate is one of the most popular places to have tea. Since his wife Sylvia died, David hasn't been back. He can't bring himself to sit at that table without Sylvia. When I went in originally, I was 22 years of age. Now I am 72. Betty's, it summarizes a turning point in my life. Because when I was in my teens and early 20s, it was all about motorcycles. I was a motorcyclist, a biker. At that time, I would go to the bikers, what we call Greasy Joe's bikers places. When I met Sylvia, I had to make a choice. I want you to sell your bike and get a car and you either have the bike or you have me. David started going to Betty's with his wife for afternoon tea. He lived with Sylvia for 46 years. They had three children together. Tea accompanied them on their afternoons. It accompanied them as they aged, changing the life of this biker who once loved to drink beer and listen to rock music. For six years, David has been visiting his wife's grave every week. He will bring her favorite roses and talk with her. She was taken ill and she died within five months of being diagnosed. It was terrible. David continues to live his solitary life. His friends at Betty's are worried for him and are concerned for his well-being. How can they help him through his grief in this difficult time? Today, his friends have brought him a racing motorcycle from the 1960s. This was David's passion when he was a young man. This time, he doesn't turn it down. His old friend is a veteran from the Second World War. He narrowly escaped death. David secretly envies him. He's 90 years old and he's still dating. His girlfriend, Jill, is 80. Bob is nearly 92. They look about the same age and she's a very pretty lady. I think maybe I am looking for a second Sylvia. And I will never find her. A lot of people don't have so long with a partner. So 46 years is a long time. I can't really complain. After six years, David finally returns to his table at Betty's. He is beginning his new life. David has started dating a woman who loves tea. He believes that he will find love again through their shared love of tea. I've had six years on my own. I would like to be stable. I don't want to be a hundred-year-old Romeo. In London, Jane continues her tea classes in her flat. 30 years ago, Jane was an English teacher. She later lost her job. But in 1983, Jane and a few of her friends set up a tea room. Since then, she has been in love with tea. This love has continued for 30 years. I try to grow tea plants here in my flat. It's really hard. I'll show you them. I've got growing much more happily in here. The soil is acid soil. But can you see how the new leaves are forming? You see there's a little tiny, tiny bud just forming there. And more here. This drink, it's not just a drink. It's so much more than just a drink. It quenches your thirst. It pleases your taste buds. It increases your understanding. It opens your horizons up, opens your eyes. The third class Jane has planned for Kirstie is a dance class. 100 years ago, tea and dancing came hand in hand in English society. They would dance while having afternoon tea, exciting the passions of even the most conservative English lady. Kirstie's shyness, I really hope by learning more about something new, and I think it will increase her confidence. Kirstie grew up in a poor area of London. She has never been to a tea dance, and she doesn't know how to dance. Although she hasn't yet found a job, tea and dancing have cheered her up. Tea has changed England. It has introduced the culture of having afternoon tea. Today, on the opposite end of the world, trendy people are learning to enjoy afternoon tea. With its newfound English trappings, tea has returned to its homeland, China. Jiang Huizhuan's family was the first to introduce the custom of afternoon tea to Taiwan. 12 years ago, she came to the mainland alone to set up afternoon tea rooms in Shanghai and Beijing. When I came to the mainland 12 years ago, I was still pretty young. It was my first time in Shanghai. I came here to try my luck. I think the mainland has changed a lot in the past 30 years, especially recently. It has been changing very quickly. People are starting to get bothered at how quickly the country is changing. Won't they want a quiet place to sit down and read? Won't they want to have fresh flowers by their side? This tea tastes so special. Won't people like this? To the Chinese, afternoon tea is not about the taste of tea. It is about the lifestyle that is associated with it. A cup of black tea, a ray of afternoon sun. They can finally take a break from their hectic lives. You need a third of this for our customers to smell its aroma. It became really popular in the second half of 2004. When you get to sit down and start drinking tea, that's afternoon tea. We should take some time out from our busy lives to just slow down and take it easy. England is a country that doesn't produce its own tea. But because its people love afternoon tea so much, it used its imperial might to turn India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya into large-scale tea cultivating countries. Under the English colonial hand, the cultivation and processing of tea were mostly done overseas. The main blending process, however, was done back at the main headquarters in England. Every English black tea had its own blending process. In an English tea factory, the most valuable person is the tea blender. The fundamental flavors that you've got to keep away from if you're tasting are probably garlic, strong onion, all those things that linger in your taste buds. And obviously when you've got a cold, you can't taste properly because a lot of it is in the smell, the aroma. The two things go hand in hand. And I'm thinking, this is a very strange way to make a living. So unusual. Michael has been working at Twining's tea factory for 25 years. He is a leading expert tea master and blender. In 2013, the English will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. The commemorative tea for this occasion will be produced by Twining's. Michael is put in charge of blending it. For Michael, this is the most difficult job yet in his 25-year career. He needs extra help for this. At this moment, he thinks of somebody. Stephen Twining belongs to the 10th generation of the Twining family. His family has held the royal warrant for tea since the Victorian era in the 19th century. 50 years ago, the Twining family sold their tea business. Most people in the family have turned to other professions. Stephen is the only one left in the tea business. I would rather describe myself as the global ambassador for Twining's. I want to teach people about this wonderful gift of nature called tea. As the heir of the Twining family, Stephen's familiarity with the royal family's tastes can probably give Michael some ideas for his special tea blend. Flowers are the harbingers of joy. Michael feels that he needs some colourful flowers in the tea to visually convey the jubilation during the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation. Perhaps add some, we've got some blue cornflakes. Yeah. And we've got some yellow mango flowers. Yeah. It won't really add anything to the taste, but visually it'll give you a bit of stimuli, I suppose. Yeah. What sort of percentages do you need in there? You only need something like 1%. So there's not really any aroma. Yeah, I mean, I like the idea of it, but there's something deep down inside me that sort of says, this is all about purity of tea, fantastic occasion, and that sort of feels a little bit of an adulteration. We always ask ourselves the question, can we make this better? But you have to be very clear on what better is. And if sometimes if you add more ingredients, then you detract from some of the beauty of the teas that you have. And so we felt that actually we'd taken it down. We weren't making it better. It looked very pretty. It looked very beautiful. And as a loose leaf tea, it would certainly be very eye-catching, but actually it wasn't. It was detracting from the whole tea and therefore diverting some of the simple beauty away. If they didn't add the flowers, would there be another way of conveying that sense of jubilation? They don't have an idea yet. In the busy financial district along the Strand, Stephen's forefathers opened London's first tea shop 300 years ago. Stephen likes to come to the old shop for inspiration. What we actually do every day is we're sourcing teas from approximately 16 countries, but thousands and thousands of tea estates. We take different types of quality of tea, different types of flavors, and we blend them together to make one homogenous tea. Tea blending is a core part of Twining's art. In the early 19th century, they received a formula from the British prime minister at the time, the second Earl Grey, and blended the world-famous Earl Grey tea. Can Stephen blend a new tea that will please the Queen? The eighth descendant of the second Earl Grey, who once supplied the royal family with tea, now resides in Tregothanen in the southwest corner of England. The family's love for plants has continued on for 700 years. They spend large amounts of money to sponsor the adventures of plant hunters all around the world. tasty and cheap. The English don't worry at all about their supply of tea. Because of its high altitude and its cold climate, tea plants don't grow well in this country. After a few failed attempts at cultivating tea, nobody has attempted that again in the last 300 years. Everybody says this is crazy. When we started growing tea, people said, it's impossible, you can't grow tea in England. And they said, it will never work. Nobody cared about Jonathan's tea growing attempts. Only his friend, Tom, thinks it's a good idea to grow tea here in England. They are both independent thinkers. They like attempting things that nobody else dares to do. Tom is a minor celebrity who often appears on survival reality shows. He's well known in the He spends most of his time in his house in the woods. During the weekends, Jonathan will go to his house to chat and have tea. Tom, thriving on a cup of tea, I hope, are you? Film work in London, and you're quite well known for what you did with Three Hungry Boys and other stuff. But do you think that those guys, those three, those two mates of yours, were they tea drinkers? Massively, massively. I'm not kidding. We actually, because we're not on our TV show, we're not allowed any, not allowed to take any supplies. The one thing that I snuck in, in my wash bag, was a single, lonely tea bag. And do you know what? We made 12 cups out of it. It was the only thing that we took with us, because we're not allowed to take food, money, anything on our adventures. We just start with one thing that I snuck. Sometimes, one tea bag is enough to create a miracle. Tom is not Jonathan's only supporter. There is also a team of tea experts, who have retired from manufacturing tea overseas. It has always been their dream to grow tea in England. After 10 years of work, Jonathan finally harvests the first crop of locally grown tea leaves. Although the harvest is small, and the tea is not very well known, Tregothlin is England's only tea estate. This is going to be about bringing tea home, in a strange way. This is the home of tea. And we're putting the English into English tea for the first time. That's what this is about. 400 kilometers away in London, preparations for the Queen's commemorative tea are still undergoing. The Twinings family has been making tea for the royal family for over 100 years. Every tea that they make for them is unique. Stephen finally comes up with a bold idea. They're going to try a blend that his forefathers have never attempted. You wouldn't generally blend Darjeelings with Assams, but in this particular case, the Darjeeling is really the second-class Darjeeling. It has this character we call muscatel, which is like a dry white wine. And it's very grapey, light, astringent character. Lots of flavor because it's high elevation. And you blend the two together and you get this unusual combination. Generally, you'd think it wouldn't work, but Darjeeling lifts the Assam. That is really fresh. Today, the commemorative tea for the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation will be unveiled at Buckingham Palace. And we've had the honor of supplying every single British king and queen from 1837 to the present day, which we are delighted about. For any of our customers, we want them to have the best possible tea experience. Kirstie has been taking tea classes for three months. Today is her last class. She is going to a tea dance. The Hilton Waldorf in London organizes a tea dance once a month. The tea dances that were so in vogue a century ago are now a relic of the past. The Hilton Waldorf is the only five-star hotel left in England that preserves this age-old tradition. Kirstie's teacher, Jane, has decided to sit this class out. She wants to give Kirstie the dance floor. Sometimes you have to move on to the next stage of your life. It was the right time to move. Without a dance partner or anybody that she knows, Kirstie doesn't know how to dance. This is the first tea dance of her life. I wouldn't have got to meet Jane if I wasn't there, so I wouldn't know what I know about tea. So that's still learning and developing new skills really, and the courses that I need to be able to start off something new. You have your whole life ahead of you to be successful. In the future, Kirstie hopes to set up her own tea room. Tea can be her life and her career. Tea is the best companion for the warm afternoon sunlight. There was once a storm in the Englishman's teacup. It embodies the meeting of land and sea, east and west. It has influenced the history of civilization. Now, tea is no longer a world-changing commodity. It has gone back to its roots of being a cultural lifestyle, of being a beverage through which different souls meet. I do think tea is a magic drink. It's almost like a religious experience. It keeps you awake. It settles you down if you're hot. It cools you if you're cool. It warms you. It just keeps on moving you forward, opening your eyes to new things. It just teaches you how to live. Tea is the attitude that humans hold towards nature. It is the attitude that humans hold towards themselves. Some people exist because of tea, and tea is their constant companion. These people are the tea producers. Tea, the story of a leaf.