Lychee Congou China Black Tea
There are tea parties and then there are tea parties. For those of us in the United States, the most famous example remains the Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773.
While a full history lesson isn’t necessary here, it’s worth noting that this event can now be explored firsthand by visiting
the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum featuring interactive exhibits and historical reenactments
.
After more than a decade of planning, the museum opened in June 2012, offering experiences such as live actors, reconstructed tea ships, and hands-on exhibits that allow visitors to engage with the events leading up to the protest.
Visitors can even participate in reenactments, including throwing tea overboard—though those less inclined toward that activity might prefer the museum’s tea room.
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
For tea enthusiasts, one particularly interesting question is what types of tea were actually dumped into Boston Harbor.
According to
this explanation of the types of teas destroyed during the Boston Tea Party
,
citing historian Benjamin Woods Labaree, the cargo included Bohea, Congou, and Souchong (all black teas), as well as Singlo and Hyson (green teas).
You can learn more about one of these historical terms in
this explanation of Bohea tea and its place in early tea trade terminology
.
Before lamenting the loss of so much tea, it’s worth noting that the shipment had likely been in transit for years and was probably far from fresh.
Bringing this history to life in a modern context was the goal of tea expert Bruce Richardson. As described in
this account of recreating historically inspired tea blends for the museum
,
he was tasked with developing a signature tea that reflected the types of teas originally thrown into the harbor.
The result was Abigail’s Blend, named after Abigail Adams, and composed primarily of Chinese black tea, with smaller additions of Indian and African teas to refine the flavor profile.
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