If you like a good cuppa tea you should try South African RooiBos (RedBush) tea. Is indigenous to sa but is a huge export. Much more gentle taste, no caffeine and fewer tannins than regular black/Ceylon teas
Almost everything stated here is false. In ancient times in China and India, bricks of aged tea were indeed used as currency. At this point in history, tea would have been primarily loose leaf, especially for export. Pu-erh aged tea would not have been to the European palate. It’s well documented that George Washington and others drank green tea often, which is not aged in this way.
I wouldn't say "almost everything". The only thing I saw wrong was the tea cakes being shipped to the U.K. that way. Like he said and you agreed, bricks were accepted currency in most of Asia, and into the early to mid 1600s. So really, mostly correct, just made the assumption that it was for sea trade to the U.K. instead of the land trade in Asia.
Pretty sure Bohea tea was the most popular tea which is essentially what we call Black Tea today. Green tea was not the common form of tea consumed in the west.
no it was boxes of stuff like 'gunpowder' and bohea etc. The manifests are known. This type of brick tea reenactors usually have access to was garbage "trim and shake" floor sweepings rarely ever making its way out of inner china
NO! WRONG! This is a myth perpetuated by reinactors to sell these bricks. Accounts from the time, as well as ship manifests, prove that tea was shipped loose leaf and they were SHOVELING and RAKING it off the ship, not flinging them like frisbees' Stop the spread of misinformation! https://theteamaestro.com/2019/06/15/was-brick-tea-thrown-overboard-at-the-boston-tea-party/
If that's true, then the more recent "tea party movement" would come off like a bunch of rich businessmen getting mad that life is improving for the poors.
No, if the mainland had Paid fair prices for the goods coming out of the New World, and not screwed us over with taxes, we would likely still be part of the Empire, like Canada.
Caps *are* dumb. they have no use. tea, salt, other spices, are all valuable as things we USE. food and other consumable goods are much better in a barter economy than random bits of shiny metal.
Remember that random buts of shiny metal are currency specifically BECAUSE they were extremely valuable.
Smelting ore into usable metal was exceptionally time consuming and expensive. The value of the metal as currency was largely in line with its desirability for melting down and using as raw material.
[As a massive fallout fan...] i had to admit it but yes. At least youd get some metal out of the caps, but this would push the "economy" down as the caps run out, while produce, gear, meds etc should be the common value.
Metro 2033 made good on this by having your finances be based on Military Grade Bullets. They could be both used as currency but also ammo that did more damage but of course limited you when you made it to a town for trading.
In Fallout when caps as a currency was introduced it was originally just for water, the water barons in California backed caps for a bottle of water. It was not any random caps, like in the later games but the ones issued by the water barons. They had discovered working bottling plants and also machinery to produce caps.
Barter economies weren't actually a thing. Highly recommend reading "Debt: the First 5000 Years" by David Graeber, a PhD anthropologist if you want to learn more about pre-modern civilization and economics.
His other book, Dawn of Everything, is also very informative. Though that one is only the first book in what was supposed to be a three part series and is written as such so some things aren't fully explained. Unfortunately, he passed away before finishing the series
Yeah, and a currency is only really even needed when you have a LOT more people trading, or if they're trading through a central hub. A few thousand people dotted around a wasteland isn't going to need a stand in for barter.
That would make sense, but gameplay and story segregation kind of shot that idea in the foot. If they pushed that idea a bit more in the games, it wouldn't be hard to believe, but I don't remember seeing much trading of water going on since the original game. I honestly thought it got retconned, due to the ease of placing water pumps in 4.
In Fallout 3, the bar in Megaton sells you a beer for a single cap. When you drink the beer you get a cap back, and after a few times the bartender gets wise and starts charging you two caps.
The settlement system in 4 is the outlier here. You can't just place 54 water pumps and increase your amount of water. You would just fuck up your aquifer. And it is in the lore. Just buried in readables, not part of the main story. In FO3, the whole thing was purifying the Potomac River so civilization could thrive.
brandonblk
this is explains why the boston waters turned tea-like then, that was a lot of damn tea
PabloEscargot
May I introduce you to the Colombian brick of nose beers.
itrytoonlysaypositivethings
Now is that actually tea or just a plastic prop?
Onenottaken
Thanks for your post! I like learning something beside all the Trump stuff
Yoda42024
If you like a good cuppa tea you should try South African RooiBos (RedBush) tea. Is indigenous to sa but is a huge export. Much more gentle taste, no caffeine and fewer tannins than regular black/Ceylon teas
billyprime
Almost everything stated here is false. In ancient times in China and India, bricks of aged tea were indeed used as currency. At this point in history, tea would have been primarily loose leaf, especially for export. Pu-erh aged tea would not have been to the European palate. It’s well documented that George Washington and others drank green tea often, which is not aged in this way.
KamiShino
I wouldn't say "almost everything". The only thing I saw wrong was the tea cakes being shipped to the U.K. that way. Like he said and you agreed, bricks were accepted currency in most of Asia, and into the early to mid 1600s. So really, mostly correct, just made the assumption that it was for sea trade to the U.K. instead of the land trade in Asia.
stulfer
Pretty sure Bohea tea was the most popular tea which is essentially what we call Black Tea today. Green tea was not the common form of tea consumed in the west.
RogCkn101
Indeed, they would break it into pieces and re steep the same piece until it dissolvee
Jamesstin
Pretty sure Boston tea party had these being chucked in the harbor tho
ParaBellumOutfitters
no it was boxes of stuff like 'gunpowder' and bohea etc. The manifests are known. This type of brick tea reenactors usually have access to was garbage "trim and shake" floor sweepings rarely ever making its way out of inner china
Bobdole010
And Americans just threw those into a harbour...
BlueskydragonFX
And that's when the fish became British.
LordBrandonTheBold
Making American Sea Tea. Our national drink.
Hornedequine
So much so that the harbor mightve actually tasted good
Clayman8
Surrounding area mustve tasted GREAT though...
HikariShade
NO! WRONG! This is a myth perpetuated by reinactors to sell these bricks. Accounts from the time, as well as ship manifests, prove that tea was shipped loose leaf and they were SHOVELING and RAKING it off the ship, not flinging them like frisbees' Stop the spread of misinformation! https://theteamaestro.com/2019/06/15/was-brick-tea-thrown-overboard-at-the-boston-tea-party/
Delathi
Fun fact, it was 'merican smugglers who tossed the tea because the British LOWERED taxes and the smugglers couldn't compete anymore
BranDohCalrissian
Yeah too few people know that it was actually a move to protect the American black market tea bc the British finally lowered the price on their tea.
leechdemon
If that's true, then the more recent "tea party movement" would come off like a bunch of rich businessmen getting mad that life is improving for the poors.
Wait... (/s)
welluhwhatdoyouwantmetosay
The Boston Tea Party raked loose tea from crates into the harbor.
Acquiredtaste
"Bring the straws! Bring the straws!"
CyberHexx
All they had to do was pay us enough to live.
Kyen155
Aetherblade
Well, exactly. If the colonies had just paid instead of complained, it would all have been fine.
CyberHexx
No, if the mainland had Paid fair prices for the goods coming out of the New World, and not screwed us over with taxes, we would likely still be part of the Empire, like Canada.
Aetherblade
Exactly, but mistakes happen and now you have the semi-united states.
KingdomsCrown
Comment that wouldn't have made sense a week ago
CyberHexx
That's gonna be a rallying call going forward.
thror
Caps *are* dumb. they have no use. tea, salt, other spices, are all valuable as things we USE. food and other consumable goods are much better in a barter economy than random bits of shiny metal.
IAlwaysEatGlue
The reason for caps is the people in charge of the dam accepted only those for drinking water
Randazzo
It's satire about capitalism.
tylerlarson
Remember that random buts of shiny metal are currency specifically BECAUSE they were extremely valuable.
Smelting ore into usable metal was exceptionally time consuming and expensive. The value of the metal as currency was largely in line with its desirability for melting down and using as raw material.
boop66
Millions of Crows can't be wrong.
Clayman8
[As a massive fallout fan...] i had to admit it but yes. At least youd get some metal out of the caps, but this would push the "economy" down as the caps run out, while produce, gear, meds etc should be the common value.
Metro 2033 made good on this by having your finances be based on Military Grade Bullets. They could be both used as currency but also ammo that did more damage but of course limited you when you made it to a town for trading.
Sogov
In Fallout when caps as a currency was introduced it was originally just for water, the water barons in California backed caps for a bottle of water. It was not any random caps, like in the later games but the ones issued by the water barons. They had discovered working bottling plants and also machinery to produce caps.
WhyDontYouMakeMe
Caps are as dumb as wampum. Money is a construct, whatever we decide has value has value
TheDoctorCrankenstein
Barter economies weren't actually a thing. Highly recommend reading "Debt: the First 5000 Years" by David Graeber, a PhD anthropologist if you want to learn more about pre-modern civilization and economics.
His other book, Dawn of Everything, is also very informative. Though that one is only the first book in what was supposed to be a three part series and is written as such so some things aren't fully explained. Unfortunately, he passed away before finishing the series
Vortexhelios320
Yeah, and a currency is only really even needed when you have a LOT more people trading, or if they're trading through a central hub. A few thousand people dotted around a wasteland isn't going to need a stand in for barter.
RyvaTheRenamon
Wait till this guy learns about the Hub. https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/The_Hub
CyberHexx
Caps are a stand in for gallons of water. They are bartering, and even raiders use caps and trade when they aren't murdering people.
Vortexhelios320
That would make sense, but gameplay and story segregation kind of shot that idea in the foot. If they pushed that idea a bit more in the games, it wouldn't be hard to believe, but I don't remember seeing much trading of water going on since the original game. I honestly thought it got retconned, due to the ease of placing water pumps in 4.
FeedTheNachoMan
In Fallout 3, the bar in Megaton sells you a beer for a single cap. When you drink the beer you get a cap back, and after a few times the bartender gets wise and starts charging you two caps.
Vortexhelios320
You would think that your character wouldn't have been the first to try that.
CyberHexx
The settlement system in 4 is the outlier here. You can't just place 54 water pumps and increase your amount of water. You would just fuck up your aquifer. And it is in the lore. Just buried in readables, not part of the main story. In FO3, the whole thing was purifying the Potomac River so civilization could thrive.
Penelelop
I miss Boon. Little rascal was always stealing my booze