with an element of time-travel and decadence, few things are best enjoyed in rio de janeiro as tea on a rainy afternoon.

known as a city with a great variety of international influences, rio de janeiro caters for almost any flavor, and even with its lush tropical climate, it keeps its residents extra toasty with a rich selection of heated beverages.

of course, the famous hot drink of rio is coffee, however, tradition brews of tea are also widely available - after an intriguing historical relationship between the two.

back in the early years of the nineteenth century, about the time that the portuguese royal family moved to the city of rio de janeiro, tea was a favored drink of many european upper classes, especially the portuguese and the english who also used tea-time as a social and even business ritual.