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Tea in Europe

The Portuguese Queen Catarina of Bragança

The Portuguese, were the first European tea drinkers and world tea traders.
And undoubtedly, the Portuguese Queen Catarina of Bragança (married in 1662 to Charles II of England ), was the one introducing tea for the first time in England (elevating this drink to a "royal status").

Queen Catarina turned tea into a fashionable drink in England, drinking it accompanied with cake, cookies and marmalade (Portuguese creation and originally called " Marmelada").
Catarina and Charles of England, were confirmed tea drinkers and the country was soon after surrendered to this noble drink!

Tea in Europe

Although England is one of the biggest consumers of tea worldwide, interesting enough it was the last of the European sea nations to discover this trade and drink.
Tea and its consumption, originally brought by the Portuguese in the XVII to Europe, was only brought to America by the Dutch colonists in the XVIII century.

Dutch and English American settlements

The first detailed study about tea, was written by a Dutch physician-botanist named Dr. Wilhelm ten Rhyne (1649-1700).
This study was published in 1678 in Danzig (Germany), and was known by the name of: "Jacob Breyn's Exoticarum plantarum centuria prima" (or First Century of Exotic Plants).

Both XVIII century Dutch and English American settlements, were avid tea drinkers. This greatly contributed to the development of a worldwide tea trade, specially in the new continent.

Expensive drink

Tea was also an important drink for the XVII century society. Although rather expensive in those days, it was undoubtedly considered the favourite drink of the wealthy and the powerful (along with the consumption of other expensive species e.g. sugar, cinnamon, ginger etc).

Additionally, the imports of tea in Europe increased enormously during the XVII century, creating a trade of a global magnitude.
The tea trade booming, consequently lead to a wide proliferation of this drink to other segments of society and lower classes.
Although initially very expensive, tea price fell over time leading to a gradual increase of its consumption. And in 1675, tea could be easily bought and consumed in all major capitals of Europe.

Exotic Asia

In the XVII century, everything with origin in Asia became very exotic and appealing to the wealthy Europeans.
Besides tea, the trade of porcelains to serve this drink became a highly profitable line of business for many countries and social groups.
The habit of drinking tea became then socially fashionable, rooted, having many consumers in Europe and America.

However, the idea of adding up milk to tea, was introduced only in 1680 by a French lady called Marie de Rabutin-Chantal (Marquise de Seven).
Although this habit disappeared completely in France, its was imported to England, where still remains very much alive today.

Tea Taverns

In the XVII century in Holland, the first "Tea Taverns" opened to the general public. These taverns became very popular in big cities like Amsterdam, and short after originated the surging of the Dutch coffee houses.
Likewise, this tradition lead rich Dutch merchants, to include a separate room in their houses exclusively dedicated to the enjoyment of tea.

American colonists

In 1773 in America, colonists dressed like Indians rebelled against the John's company, dumping the entire tea load into the Boston harbour.
This was the first major protest in the English colony against the exorbitant prices of tea, propelling the independence of the colony from the English ruling. Short after the E.U.A was founded.

France

In France, tea remained one of the favourite drinks of high society until the XVIII century. But, the French slowly replaced tea by other luxury goodies e.g. chocolate, coffee, tobacco and wine.
But, smuggling tea in the XVIII century European and French harbours, was a very profitable activity.

England and the five o'clock tea

In the meantime in England, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861), created the tradition of the five o'clock tea. This tradition initially aimed to fill in a gap between lunch and dinner, short after became a well rooted national tradition.
The five o'clock tea was also widely accepted in England and abroad, becoming a sign of social status of the English colonial ruling abroad.

Fashion statement

But drinking tea in the XVIII century, was above all a fashion statement. This was a popular drink and habit among the rich, a sign of wealth, distinction and prosperity.
Thus, in order to making it a more exotic and appealing habit, tea had to be served in proper China porcelain.

But only in the XIX century, tea from India begin to be introduced in England. Initially, the English were trading tea mainly with China, but this was not a favourable trade for the British.
The Chinese were hardly buying any English products, whilst the English were buying far too much Chinese tea, unbalancing the trade between both nations.
This situation lead ultimately, to an increasing interest by the English in introducing tea in India and other colonies, leading to the creation of the first tea plantations.

Tea break

Interesting enough, the "tea break or "tea pause" was only introduced in England during the industrial era, being a bi-product of the XIX-XX industrial revolution.
This came as a result of having employees working very long hours, being only allowed a tea break in the morning and in the afternoon.
Although this idea was short after implemented all over England, some landlords and industry owners were not welcoming it, harshly protesting against this "recently gained freedom".

Iced tea

In what regards iced tea, this was only "invented" around this period by an American called Richard Blechynden (1904), during the World's Fair in St. Louis.
Mr. Blechynden was a tea plantation owner, and during a heat wave in St. Louis he decided to dump some ice into tea, serving it during the fair. This idea was very much welcomed by the public, originating the first iced tea.

Tea bags

A few years later, hand-sewn silk tea bags made their first appearance in America, becoming a synonym of individual tea doses.
The first person to come up with this idea, was the New Yorker tea merchant named Thomas Sullivan. He initially send a few samples to his customers, but many of them had no clue how to use the tea bags. But soon enough, tea bags became widely popularised, commercialised and made easier to use.
Although tea bags were invented in early 1900, their commercialisation begun only in 1920.
Curiously enough, England is considered to be the biggest world consumer of teabags, habit which largely took off in the 1960's.

XIX-XX century

Thus, between the XIX-XX century tea gained many new adepts worldwide. And in 1920, 1930 and 1940, tea was largely consumed in social events and private homes.
African tea was then discovered, and became one of the best world teas, being largely exported both to Europe and America.

During the II World War both Chinese and Japanese tea was not easy to find or buy (especially green and oolong tea), reason why both Americans and Europeans, started to consider importing black tea from India and Sri Lanka.

After the war, both Chinese and Japanese tea was once again available to European and American consumers. Yet, their unwillingness to commercialise tea with Europe and America during the war period, lead to their loss in hegemony in world tea markets, giving place to other tea players and producers.

The 60's and 70's

Additionally, during the decades of the 60s and 70s, herbal and infusion teas gained increased popularity both in Europe and America, being widely spread by hippie movements.

Finally and after water, tea is definitely the most consumed drink worldwide (despite the fact, that most world tea is cultivated between 3.000 to 7.000 feet above see level)!