Tea Cultures of Europe: Heritage and Hospitality

G Exploring tea by the sea

Tea arrived in Europe either by the sea, initially via Dutch ports, or by land with caravans from China via Russia. This chapter focuses on the tea culture in countries where tea was mainly imported across the Atlantic using tea clippers (1843–1869), and later bigger ships through the Suez Canal.

G.1 The Danish tea heritage

Christian Hincheldey

Allan Lindgaard Winther

Introduction

Danish pharmacists are thought to have been the first to bring tea to Denmark, according to historian Annette Hoff of Denmark. Small quantities of tea were rumored to have been brought from Amsterdam, suggesting that teas were utilised as a form of medicine – likely recommended by Chinese healers. One of the first official ...