It was imported to Europe for the first time by Dutch traders around 1610. It was sold for the first time in Britain around 1660. What was it?

This now-commonplace beverage was first introduced to the Western world as an exotic and expensive luxury. In the early 17th century, a ship from the Dutch East India Company brought the first leaves to Amsterdam from Asia. The first official recorded import contract for this cargo was in 1606, and by 1610 it was being sold to the wealthy, often viewed as a medicinal drink rather than a daily refreshment. For decades, the Netherlands was the primary hub for this new commodity in Europe, with the Dutch controlling the burgeoning world tea trade.

By the 1650s, the drink had made its way to Britain, where it was first sold in London's coffee houses. A 1658 newspaper advertisement touted the "China Drink, called by the Chineans, Tcha, by other Nations Tay, alias Tee." Its popularity soared when the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza married King Charles II in 1662, bringing her love for the beverage to the British court. This royal endorsement transformed it into a fashionable drink among the aristocracy. Initially, it was so prized and expensive that many who could afford it kept it locked away. The high price and later, heavy taxation, led to a massive smuggling trade that lasted for many years.