Five Teas that Launched a Revolution

Our Five Teas that Launched a Revolution collection is curated by Bruce Richardson, Tea Master for the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum (and our founder).

• Bohea Black Tea - 240 wooden chests of this low-grade Chinese black tea from the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian Province were onboard the three ships in Boston Harbor. "Bohea" is the pronunciation in the Minnan dialect of the Wuyi Mountains. This ungraded tea was picked, oxidized, and charcoal-dried after the prized spring teas had been harvested.  (.75 oz.)

• Congou Black Tea - This expensive Chinese black tea was well-made, hence the name derived from Kung Fu, meaning any study, learning, or practice that requires patience, energy, and time to complete. Fifteen chests of Congou were dumped into Boston Harbor. (.75 oz.)

• Souchong Black Tea - Also from the Wuyi Mountains, this black tea was made from the larger leaves of the tea bush. This sometimes-smoky tea was one of Thomas Jefferson's favorites. Ten chests of Souchong were destroyed in Boston. (.75 oz.)

• Hyson Green Tea - This common 18th-century Chinese green tea was often found in the teapots of fine homes from Boston to London. Fifteen chests of this spring-picked tea were aboard the ships in Boston Harbor. (.75 oz.)

• Singlo Green Tea - From the Sunglo Mountains of China's Anhui Province, this well-made green tea was picked in the early spring. It was the most expensive of the five teas. Sixty chests of Singlo - the first ever to be shipped to the Colonies - were destroyed in Boston Harbor. (.75 oz.)

• T-sac #1 infuser bags - 20 convenient one-use bags perfect for cups and mugs that let your tea expand when the leaves rehydrate, allowing for better water circulation as the full flavor of the tea is released into the liquor.

Packaged by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas, Danville, KY. For more information about the history of tea, read A Social History of Tea by Bruce Richardson.

Continue your tea education with The New Tea Companion by Bruce Richardson and Jane Pettigrew.