
Routes of Taiwan Tea
Mobility, Borders, and Territoriality
Po-Yi Hung(Author)
University of Washington Press
Will be published approx. on 16. June 2026
Book
Hardback
230 pages
978-0-295-75434-5 (ISBN)
Description
Demonstrates how a popular commodity has reshaped borders, traditions, and geopoliticsFrom misty mountain oolongs to the global boba boom, Taiwan's teas carry far more than flavor. They embody contested borders, evolving identities, and the complexities of nationhood. Routes of Taiwan Tea traces tea varieties, processing expertise, and merchants across Taiwan and Southeast Asia to reveal how a simple leaf has become a force in global politics.
Drawing on decades of fieldwork and extensive archival research, Po-Yi Hung delves deep into the history of Taiwan's tea industry, from its roots in the Qing empire to its role in modern food nationalism. Hung shows how advocacy for Taiwanization-the movement to recover and celebrate the island's unique history and culture-occurs not only within Taiwan's food scenes but also through cross-border exchanges. Oolong cultivation in Thailand's highlands and bubble tea's rise in Vietnam demonstrate how tea acts as a nonhuman agent, fostering connections and unsettling conventional notions of sovereignty. Through these routes, tea becomes more than agriculture; it becomes an instrument of diplomacy, a marker of authenticity, and a symbol of cultural pride.
Offering a fresh perspective on Taiwan's geopolitical positioning, Routes of Taiwan Tea redefines how borders are imagined and lived. It is an essential contribution to food studies, political geography, and East and Southeast Asian studies, illuminating how everyday practices like drinking tea shape global relations.
Drawing on decades of fieldwork and extensive archival research, Po-Yi Hung delves deep into the history of Taiwan's tea industry, from its roots in the Qing empire to its role in modern food nationalism. Hung shows how advocacy for Taiwanization-the movement to recover and celebrate the island's unique history and culture-occurs not only within Taiwan's food scenes but also through cross-border exchanges. Oolong cultivation in Thailand's highlands and bubble tea's rise in Vietnam demonstrate how tea acts as a nonhuman agent, fostering connections and unsettling conventional notions of sovereignty. Through these routes, tea becomes more than agriculture; it becomes an instrument of diplomacy, a marker of authenticity, and a symbol of cultural pride.
Offering a fresh perspective on Taiwan's geopolitical positioning, Routes of Taiwan Tea redefines how borders are imagined and lived. It is an essential contribution to food studies, political geography, and East and Southeast Asian studies, illuminating how everyday practices like drinking tea shape global relations.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Seattle
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
US School Grade: College Graduate Student
Illustrations
1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 1 Maps; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Weight
431 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-295-75434-5 (9780295754345)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Po-Yi Hung is professor of geography at National Taiwan University. He is author of Tea Production, Land Use Politics, and Ethnic Minorities: Struggling over Dilemmas on China's Southwest Frontier.