January 23, 2009, Newsletter Issue #21: History of Tea Drinking in Holland

Tip of the Week

Dutch explorers were very active in the early 1600's, so it is no surprise that the Dutch were the first people to bring tea to Europe in large enough quantities to sell. The history of tea drinking in Holland began when this novelty drink was enjoyed by Dutch royalty. Soon, when it was imported in larger quantities, the merchant class began to enjoy tea, too.

Holland is usually credited with being the birthplace of the tea party. Members of the merchant class enjoyed spending time throwing parties for their friends and they naturally wanted to impress everyone with their ability to afford this exclusive new beverage. They provided tea at all of these gatherings, which evolved into tea parties. In fact, tea parties were so popular that people demanded that they be stopped because they felt that these gatherings were causing moral decay.

To fight the British takeover of the tea trade in the mid 1600's, Holland tried slashing tea prices. However, the Dutch plan backfired when England refused to allow Holland to sell any more tea to British merchants. While the Dutch people continued to enjoy tea, Holland was no longer a major contender in the tea trade.

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