The Rise and Development of the Spanish Tea Culture since the Modern Times
The history of the Spanish tea culture since the modern times can be broadly divided into three phases:the embryonic stage,the developing stage,and the thriving stage.During the 16th and 17th centuries,as the Spanish Empire expanded its colonies in Asia,the Spaniards acquired much information relating to the tea through Japan,China and the Philippines and developed their certain understanding of the oriental tea custom and the benefits of tea.Nevertheless,they did not show much interest in drinking tea accordingly.From the 18th to the mid-19th century,the House of Bourbon of France replaced the House of Habsburg of Austria and became the ruler of Spain,which created favourable conditions for the spread of the French tea culture in the country.At the same time,tea cultures of the Netherlands,Sweden and England were successively introduced into Spain.A growing number of the Spaniards gradually adopted tea for health or reception,but this has not yet become a widespread trend.From the mid-19th to the early 20th century,while the hygiene movement which aimed at raising the public health awareness gained momentum in Spain,numerous influential works on hygiene introduced the effects of tea,leading to the increasing acceptance of tea as a healthful beverage in the country,especially among the affluent class.Meanwhile,as Spain's polity underwent a transition from the absolute monarchy to the constitutional monarchy,the newly empowered liberal elites of Spain admired the culture of the capitalist powers,such as England and France.They embraced the tea-drinking custom,which prevailed in those countries for a long time,as a symbol of freedom,civilisation and elegance.Consequently,the trend of hosting tea gatherings flourished across the middle and upper classes in Spain.
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