Green with Milk and Sugar: When Japan Filled America's Tea Cups

Americans are the world's largest consumers of black teas, while in Japan, green tea, particularly sencha, is preferred. Robert Hellyer's book "Green with Milk and Sugar" explores the transpacific tea trade, tracing how interconnections between Japan and the United States have influenced the daily habits of people in both countries. It reveals the forgotten American penchant for Japanese green tea, which shaped Japanese tastes. In the nineteenth century, Americans favored green teas imported from China, but in the 1920s, they shifted to black teas from Ceylon and India due to socioeconomic trends and racial prejudices. Japanese merchants aggressively marketed sencha, transforming it into an icon of Japanese culture. The book offers a social and commodity history of tea in the United States and Japan, as well as insights into how national customs have profound international dimensions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 12 October 2021
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Americans are among the world's largest consumers of black teas, while in Japan, green tea, particularly sencha, holds a prominent place. These national preferences, as revealed by Robert Hellyer, are intricately intertwined. Tracing the transpacific tea trade from the eighteenth century onward, Green with Milk and Sugar delves into how interconnections between Japan and the United States have shaped the daily habits of individuals in both countries.

Hellyer uncovers the forgotten American penchant for Japanese green tea and its profound impact on Japanese tastes. In the nineteenth century, green teas, initially imported from China, gained popularity among Americans. However, Japan's emergence as an export industry centered on the United States led to the democratization of green tea. It became a daily beverage for Americans from all social classes, particularly in the Midwest, consumed hot, often with milk and sugar.

In the 1920s, socioeconomic trends and racial prejudices shifted American preferences toward black teas from Ceylon and India. Japanese merchants, facing a surplus, aggressively marketed sencha, transforming it into an iconic symbol of Japanese culture. Green with Milk and Sugar offers a comprehensive social and commodity history of tea in the United States and Japan, shedding light on the profound international dimensions of national customs.

The book features lively stories of the people involved in the tea trade, including samurai who transitioned to tea farming and Hellyer's own ancestors. It provides not only a deep understanding of tea's social and economic significance but also offers fresh insights into how national customs shape global interactions.

Weight: 560g
Dimension: 162 x 237 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231199100