How Tea Time Came to England

There’s nothing quite as quintessentially British as a cuppa tea. But how did the Chinese tradition make its way into the British consciousness? It’s all thanks to Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese royal who married England’s King Charles II in 1662. When she arrived in England, she brought with her loose leaves and spices in a set of crates labeled “Transporte de Ervas Aromatics,” or . Soon, everyone wanted to be just like the Queen and sales of tea began to skyrocket. The rest, as they say, is history. SUBSCRIBE: This story is a part of our Flavors series, where we do so much more than play with our food. Come with us as we dive into deliciously different and tastefully off-beat stories in the culinary world. Got a story idea for us? Shoot us an email at hey [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com Follow us behind the scenes on Instagram: Make our acquaintance on Facebook: Give us a shout on Twitter: Come hang with us on Vimeo: Visit our world directly: