Historical Studies (Chinese Edition)

No.1, 2013

 

Chinese Tea and the Custom of Tea Drinking in the Netherlands from the Seventeenth Century On                                              

(Abstract)

 

Liu Yong

 

Chinese tea was first introduced into Europe in the early 17th century by the Dutch. From the early 18th century until the 1840s, they dominated trade with China. In the Netherlands, tea at first could only be obtained from a medicine shop. As an excellent medicinal herb for the treatment of various local diseases, it won favor with the great majority of specialists, but also met with some opposition. Since tea-drinking was so strongly recommended by discerning people, the Dutch gradually accepted the idea that "tea is good for the health." As its price fell, tea was drunk daily, and was sold in specialist shops or alongside other goods. Tea drinking, previously regarded as a high-end leisure occupation, became widespread in all walks of life. One positive effect of the custom of tea drinking was that it enriched Dutch social life in this period.