Tea in Portugal has a modest but historically interesting presence shaped by maritime trade, regional cultivation, and everyday café culture. In cities such as Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra, tea appears in cafés, bakeries, and hotels where it is served as a hot beverage alongside coffee and pastries. Portugal also holds a unique place in European tea production through plantations in the Azores, particularly on the island of São Miguel, where tea has been cultivated since the nineteenth century. Outside these production regions, tea is typically consumed as an imported product purchased through grocery stores or served in cafés and restaurants. Cultural pathways are supported by tourism, hospitality traditions, and the historical connection between Portugal and global trade routes. Compared with the country’s dominant coffee culture, tea tends to function as a complementary beverage rather than a daily national ritual. Visibility often increases in tourism settings and specialty food markets where Azorean tea is promoted as a regional product. With continued interest in regional agriculture and culinary tourism, tea in Portugal holds a stable niche within the country’s broader beverage landscape.
