The Story of Oldest & Largest Tea Plantation in Europe
Tea is the most popular beverage in the world after water. This beverage crop is usually grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions. No one would believe that tea can be grown in a temperate island nation like Azores belongs to Portugal in Europe. Tea production is thought to have been introduced around 1820 by Jacinto Leite, an Azorean born in the island of São Miguel. So it’s almost 200 years ago. At the time, Jacinto was working as commander of the Royal Guard of King John VI in Brazil and decided to initiate the first tea plantation São Miguel, using seeds he had brought from Rio de Janeiro.
Tea grown in the Azores is 100% organic & situated about 1500 kilometers away from Europe mainland. The climate of the island proved to be good for the crops and the cultivation of tea slowly gained support in the island. In an era when the production and exportation of orange which is a very important part of the island’s economy was in clear down fall, tea production looked like a promising substitute. Sooner, tea cultivation became an important livelihood for the inhabitants of the island and its economy, In the 1950s, tea exports rose to 250 tons, and about 300 hectares were used for tea plantations. However, after that, the popularity of Azorean tea began to decline, and by 1966, out of 14 tea processing factories, only 5. In recent years, only two of them remained: the Gorreana Tea Factory and the Porto Formoso Tea Factory.
Let’s look at the story,
“Tea with Nipun” always brings you news and updates not only from main tea origins, but also from rare origins like these.
I am quite certain that tea lovers around the world would love to visit this place and have a true tea experience.
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References
- Main Source: https://masterstalk.online/2021/04/14/to-the-azores-for-tea/
- More Information: https://medium.com/made-in-azores/tea-in-the-azores-a-cup-of-heaven-on-earth-6408953cde30
