Tea Blog

Today, most people associate Cosmopolitan magazine with articles about relationships, fitness, fashion, and lifestyle trends. Yet the publication has a much deeper and more literary history than many readers realize.

Founded in 1886, Cosmopolitan once featured works by notable literary figures including Theodore Dreiser, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, Willa Cather, and Edith Wharton. In addition to fashion and household topics, readers at the turn of the twentieth century could find articles covering everything from marine disasters and airships to international culture and travel.

Among the magazine’s offerings in 1899 was an article by Laura B. Starr titled “Tea-Drinking in Many Lands.” Richly illustrated and surprisingly ambitious in scope, the article provides a fascinating glimpse into how tea and tea-like beverages were viewed around the world more than a century ago.

A Broad Definition of Tea

One of the most interesting aspects of Starr’s article is its expansive definition of the word “tea.”

Today, tea purists often reserve the term for beverages made from the leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. However, Starr uses the word in a much broader sense, encompassing a variety of infusions consumed in different cultures.

Readers are informed that some Koreans substituted ginger infusions when tea was unavailable or unaffordable. In Siberia, cabbage-based beverages are mentioned as tea substitutes—though modern readers might reasonably wonder where tea ends and soup begins.

Tea Alternatives Around the World

The article highlights a number of traditional beverages that would likely be classified today as herbal infusions, grain beverages, or tisanes rather than true tea.

Among the examples described:

• Japanese infusions made from salted cherry blossoms.
• Roasted barley beverages.
• Bean-based infusions.
• Ginseng drinks enjoyed in China and France.
• South American yerba mate, long before it became widely known outside its native region.

The discussion offers a remarkable snapshot of global beverage traditions at a time when many readers would have had limited access to international foods and drinks.

The Story of “Real” Tea

After exploring various tea substitutes and herbal beverages, Starr turns her attention to what most tea enthusiasts would recognize as true tea.

The article recounts traditional legends surrounding the discovery of tea and provides a concise history of its spread from China to Japan and eventually to Europe.

Along the way, readers are treated to humorous anecdotes, historical observations, and descriptions of tea production and trade that would have helped late nineteenth-century audiences better understand one of the world’s most important beverages.

Tea Culture Around the Globe in 1899

Starr also documents the role tea played in several societies.

Among her observations:

• The United States was already a major consumer of Japanese green tea.
• Tea was considered indispensable in Russia and served as the nation’s preferred beverage.
• Some Native American communities had enthusiastically adopted tea.
• Distinct tea traditions flourished in Morocco, China, and Japan.

These observations provide valuable historical insight into how tea was perceived around the world at the close of the nineteenth century.

A Tea Time Capsule

What makes “Tea-Drinking in Many Lands” particularly enjoyable today is its status as a cultural time capsule.

The article captures a period when global tea culture was expanding rapidly, yet information traveled much more slowly than it does today. Readers encountered descriptions of foreign tea customs through magazines, travel accounts, and books rather than through instant online searches.

Some interpretations and terminology naturally reflect the era in which the article was written, but its enthusiasm for tea and curiosity about other cultures remain engaging more than a century later.

Where to Read the Article

If you’re interested in tea history, tea culture, or historical perspectives on global beverage traditions, the original article is well worth reading.

You can access the complete article here: http://books.google.com/books?id=Nak_AQAAMAAJ&dq=%22tea%20bag%22&pg=PA289#v=onepage&q=bohea&f=false”Tea-Drinking in Many Lands” from the 1899 edition of Cosmopolitan magazine.

Final Thoughts

Modern tea drinkers often think of global tea culture as a contemporary phenomenon, but articles like Laura B. Starr’s demonstrate that curiosity about tea traditions around the world has existed for generations.

More than 125 years later, “Tea-Drinking in Many Lands” remains an entertaining and informative look at how people enjoyed tea—and tea substitutes—across cultures and continents.

See more iamlengeman/”>tea history, tea culture, and commentary articles by William I. Lengeman.

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