Not from China, not from the Turks... So from whom did the British learn about tea? From a Portuguese woman!
From whom did the British learn about tea? From a Portuguese woman! After the civil war in England, the monarchy returned, Charles II became king and married Catherine, daughter of the Portuguese king John IV. Catherine, queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland brought a plant with her for her dowry:
Yes, that herbal tea!
Well, was there no tea drinking in England until then?
Of course, it was smoked, but it was consumed more as a medicine rather than for pleasure. Catherine actually introduced the tradition of 'socializing with tea'. Those who saw him drinking tea during the day took notice and this started to become a culture.
Catherine of Braganza (Portuguese: Catarina de Bragança; 25 November 1638 – 31 December 1705) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland during her marriage to King Charles II, which lasted from 21 May 1662 until his death on 6 February 1685. She was the daughter of John IV of Portugal, who became the first king from the House of Braganza in 1640 after overthrowing the 60–year rule of the Spanish Habsburgs over Portugal and restoring the Portuguese throne which had first been created in 1143. Catherine served as regent of Portugal during the absence of her brother Peter II in 1701 and during 1704–1705, after her return to her homeland as a widow.
Tea was a rich drink until he came
Before Catherine, England had no direct relations or exchanges with China. That's why teas were bought from the Netherlands - which was very expensive. The price of half a kilo of tea corresponded to a year's wage of a worker in England.
It is said that when Catherine of Braganza arrived from Portugal to marry Charles II in 1662, she brought with her a casket of tea. Since the Portuguese had been importing tea to Europe from the beginning of the seventeenth century, Catherine had grown up drinking tea as the preferred everyday beverage.
Ceramic teapot and cups
When the British started drinking tea, they did not know about ceramic teapots and cups. They saw this in China and started consuming tea in a way that suited tea. However, porcelain entered England literally from Portugal.
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Catherine – The First British Tea-Drinking Queen
https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/tea-blog/catherine-the-first-british-tea-drinking-queen