It's most likely that it was the Japanese green teas which were first to arrive in the west, owing to Japan's liberal trade policies with the Dutch. Initially, tea was chiefly recommended to Europeans for its purported medicinal qualities; it was claimed by the Dutch that tea was a cure for nearly every disease imaginable.

Due to the expense of bringing tea halfway across the globe, it was initially consumed primarily by aristocrats and the rich. Over time the cost of tea fell enough for people from all walks of life to be able to enjoy it. By 1717 Thomas Twining's English coffee house became a tea shop; and unlike the ubiquitous London coffee houses of the era, the doors of Twining's were open to both men and women. Meeting friends over tea became a staple of British life, and afternoon tea became a lasting tradition that still continues today.