How did a plant guarded for thousands of years in China's mountains end up fueling Britain's tea obsession? This is the story of industrial espionage, empire, and one man's dangerous mission into forbidden territory.

In Part 1 of The Great Tea Heist, we explore how tea became England's national addiction, the Opium Wars that shattered China's monopoly, and Robert Fortune—the Scottish botanist who survived pirates, typhoons, and thieves to become Britain's most valuable plant hunter. But stealing China's greatest treasure would require more than survival skills. It would require betrayal on an imperial scale.

Mentioned in this episode: Catherine of Braganza, the Yongzheng Emperor, Commissioner Lin Zexu, the First Opium War, Robert Fortune, the East India Company, and the plant that changed everything—C ...