The only tea plantations in Europe

The only place in Europe where tea is grown commercially is in the Azores.

Azorean Tea origin story

In the 19th century, oranges were the biggest Azorean crop. Orange production was incredibly profitable, but when an orange blight wiped out the trees, farmers had to look elsewhere. Pineapples and sweet potatoes were some of the crops that were successfully grown.

Then, the tea plant was introduced. Initially tea was grown for its ornamental properties, not for consumption. Only when a tea expert from China named Lau-a-Pan arrived in the Azores did commercial production of tea as a beverage take off.

Porto Formoso Tea Factory (photo: Brent Petersen)

Within a few decades, there were dozens and dozens of tea plantations on São Miguel along with several processing factories. In the 20th century, customs laws were put in place that crippled Azorean tea production and today there are only 2 tea plantations left.

Types of Azorean Tea