You’ve probably heard the expression “Not for all the tea in China.” And I can tell you that that’s a lot of tea. There’s .com/2010/06/review-english-tea-stores-keemun-panda.html”>Keemun Panda black tea review, Chinese oolong teas, Tie Kuan Yin Iron Goddess oolong tea review, Snow Dragon whitemu-tan.html”>Pai Mu Tan White Peony tea review, and many more. See what I mean?
In fact, China is the world’s largest tea-producing country. The expression usually indicates that someone is asking you to do something you absolutely do not want to do. And that brings up an interesting question: what would you refuse to do, even if someone offered you all the tea in China? Tea lovers know that’s no small incentive. The British alone drink millions of cups of tea every day. The task would have to be pretty awful to turn down that much tea.
Some Things Hubby and I Would NOT Do
We drink a lot of tea each day—typically six to eight cups. Most of it is black tea, although we also enjoy oolong teas, green teas, white teas, and even a few pu-erh teas. Much of what we drink comes from India or China. Since India is another major tea-producing country, perhaps the expression should be updated to “not for all the tea in China and India.” Better yet, let’s expand it to “not for all the tea in the world.”
Considering that global tea production amounts to millions of tons annually, that’s quite an offer. Even so, for us to give up delicious cups of Assam black tea from India, Kenyan tea, Keemun tea, Bi Luo Chun green tea, Gunpowder green tea, Silver Needle white tea, Arya Ruby Darjeeling tea, Ceylon Orange Pekoe, and countless others, the task would have to be truly unpleasant.
Some possibilities that come to mind:
- Deactivating a bomb in the heart of London left over from World War II.
- Cleaning public restrooms in Paris using only a toothbrush.
- Hiking up Mount Kilimanjaro while carrying an elephant on my back.
- Going shoeless for an entire year in Siberia.
- Digging a tunnel from my house to China using nothing but a teaspoon.
What’s Your List?
Give it some careful thought. Tea is, after all, a remarkable beverage—both invigorating and soothing at the same time. Whatever would make you turn down all the tea in the world would have to be something truly extraordinary.
See more tea articles and tea culture commentary by A.C. Cargill.
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