# Why did tea become so popular

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tea-become-so-popular/989427>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Tags:** food-cooking\
**Created:** [August 31, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tea-become-so-popular/989427 "2023-08-31T21:32:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tea-become-so-popular/989427/81 "2023-09-07T19:41:19Z")

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Hey, thanks a lot. I’m enjoying a nice cup of freshpak rooibos this afternoon. This is the beverage i grew to love when i visited South Africa, not the bland or overly-flavored (vanilla?) stuff that dominates the US market.

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tea-become-so-popular/989427/82 "2023-09-07T19:53:07Z")

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Glad to be of service!

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**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-tea-become-so-popular/989427/83 "2023-09-07T21:37:42Z")

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The assumptions in the first post are suspect. What drink one prefers depends on the person, but it’s more complicated than that.

The first assumption is all these drinks were widely available in the same place at the same time for a given person. Unlikely to be originally true. And how good something is depends on what alternatives one compares it to.

And if not true, the marketing of the drink matters. Did one drink it with friends in a social setting, or did it have other cultural importance or be perceived as patriotic? Lots of countries have rituals associated with tea - break, social class, gifts, religious and cultural ceremonies, real health benefits, the fact caffeine can make you feel energetic despite its absolute level. See how excited some South Americans get when discussing the many details of _yerba_. Coffee also has rituals, cafes and coffeehouses, social factors… but once one drink has been established and popularized, anything new competes against that, assuming the new thing is even available, the same price and quality, etc.

Beer is different since alcohol has different effects from caffeine. Employers and the religious might not like these effects as much. Taste is not the only factor, obviously. In times when food spoilage was common, boiling water had advantages. Bottling does too; not sure exactly when this became widely available for beer but likely later.

Tea and coffee can be bitter and many add various sweeteners. The historical availability of these also varied widely.

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