At the end of last month, Guangdong Provincial People's Government announced the eighth batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage representative projects, Cantonese drinking tea among them.
The incident of drinking morning tea has long been deeply engraved into Lao Guang's DNA. From 70s and 80s to young people born in the 2000s, they all have a special liking for the Guangzhou tea drinking culture.
Guangdong people sigh tea (sigh means enjoyment) tea is good, dim sum is good, roasted mai, shrimp dumplings , chicken feet, and char siu buns report a round of names, and saliva can no longer be stopped. Only those who have experienced it know what the Manchu Han banquet in the breakfast world is.
Guangdong's tea culture includes tea ceremony and customs such as asking for tea ordering, tea pouring etiquette, performing "tea bowing ceremony", uncovering the cover and continuing water, and stamping the dim sum sheet.
We have compiled 6 authentic old-fashioned tea houses to show you how particular the real Cantonese tea drinking is.
Guangdong morning tea first appeared in Xianfeng and Tongzhi years. As one of the few trading ports in the Qing Dynasty, Guangdong had developed trade. People regarded teahouses as places to negotiate business and places to relax and entertain.
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33Guangdong-style teahouse taken in the early 20th century
Picture source: Milwaukee Library, University of Wisconsin,
The tea shop at that time was called "Erliguan" (named because of the price of tea 2li) , the word "tea talk" is written at the door of . There are several wooden tables and wooden chairs in . this is the original appearance of the teahouse. Some tea shops also serve pastries, and the "one cup and two pieces" (one cup of tea, two pieces of snacks) originated from this.
With the development of the times, these "Erli Halls" have gradually become teahouses, with exquisite tea leaves, beautiful tea sets, and exquisite and delicious refreshments. At that time, drinking morning tea was an activity that only wealthy children could enjoy. Everyone would bring their love birds and crickets and . If you order a pot of tea and order a few refreshments, you will be able to sigh for a day.
Later, the demand for drinking tea became increasingly greater, and tea house appeared. The scale became larger and larger, becoming today's tea house, and ordinary people gradually could drink morning tea.
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Dry steamed roasted wheat
A newspaper, a pot of tea, a few cages of refreshments... I stayed in the teahouse all day. More often than not, the whole family went out together, on a noisy morning, a table of steaming tea and snacks, it was like a safe haven, and people relieved the pressure in life.
Lao Guang sighed at morning tea, with a tacit etiquette and tacit understanding.
Ask for tea order, remove the cover and pour water, press the tea gift, sell it before sitting, pay the order for a few dishes, eat first and then pay, water boils tea, one cup and two pieces, and steam it immediately. The most interesting ones are the tea ceremony of peeling and pouring water and pressing on the tea ceremony.
"Removing the cover and pouring water" is to continue tea. The tea is gone, just place the lid on the edge of the teapot, and the waiter passing by will understand it and quickly take it to refill the water. There is no need to say much.
It is said that this rule originated from a story of "scam money". Once upon a time, a playboy took a canary to drink tea. When no one paid attention, he quietly put the canary in a teacup and asked someone to add water. When the store opened it, the canary flew away and took the opportunity to claim compensation from the teahouse.
In order to avoid such a thing happening again, the teahouse owner asked diners to actively open the lid of the pot and cup when adding water.
"Tea-kowing ceremony" is an action that others express their gratitude when pouring water. The teahouse is full of people. When someone pours tea for you, he whispers to thank you in a low voice for fear that the other party will not hear it, and it is impolite to say too loudly. Lao Guang bends his index finger and middle finger and gently taps the tabletop a few times to express his gratitude.
According to legend, there was an emperor who visited the private visit in a private manner. When he saw that the waiter pouring tea was interesting, he learned to pour a cup for the entourage officials.
The entourage official was flattered and wanted to kneel down and give a big gift, but was worried that he would reveal the emperor's identity, so he knocked twice on the table with his hand to bow to the emperor on behalf of him.
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Shark Fin Golden Cake
These seemingly complex rules and etiquettes are the core of the intangible cultural heritage list that can be selected into the intangible cultural heritage list by the store and diners for many years.
In Guangzhou, there are many time-honored restaurants that carry the taste bud memories of generations. We have compiled the most worthwhile time-honored teahouses in Guangzhou for everyone. Get it ready, and when you have free time, go to drink tea!
01 Ronghua Building
Address: No. 714 Longjin East Road, Guangzhou
Business hours: 07:00-22:00
Recommended dishes: Babao sauce steamed chicken feet, fresh shrimp red rice sausage, full ingredients Liwan boat porridge
Ronghua Building, founded in 1876, is the only remaining teahouse with makeup and short play in the old city of Guangzhou. The older generation of neighbors and Cantonese opera folk art lovers are used to coming here to drink tea and eat snacks every day.
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8treasure sauce steamed chicken claws
The production of time-honored brands has always been stable, especially in traditional snacks, and no one has stepped on the thunder. The chicken feet recommended by old diners, the sauce is salty and fresh with a little sweetness. It is steamed soft and glutinous and tastes, melts in your mouth, and is full of collagen .
Western apricot slices fried crispy milk is the characteristic of Ronghualou. The coconut milk block is wrapped in a layer of crispy clothes on the outside, which is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The rich apricot milk flavor is even more important. Eat while it is hot, leaving a fragrance on the lips and teeth.
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3 Boat porridge
Porridge water is also a frequent visitor on the morning tea table. The steaming Liwan Boat porridge, the smooth porridge base is equipped with fish fillets, fresh shrimps, pork belly shreds, roast duck shreds, and fried dough shreds, which are more perfect to eat together with fried ghosts!
Every afternoon at 1 pm, the 3rd floor of Ronghua Building will be played on time, and the music fans of grandparents will be filled with Cantonese opera while sighing tea.
As a neighborhood teahouse, Ronghua Building has a very cost-effectiveness. You can have a large table of refreshments for 50 yuan per person. After eating, you can buy some souvenirs such as crisps and cakes downstairs. However, the time-honored brands also have a big temper. If you pay special attention to service and environment, it is recommended that you be mentally prepared before coming.
Some people say that Ronghualou, which was acquired by the dim sum prince, has lost its true taste, but for many old Guangzhou, Ronghualou is not just a teahouse, it has witnessed the historical development and changes of Lao Xiguan, and is also a precious memory of several generations of Cantonese opera enthusiasts.
02 Beiyuan Restaurant
Address: No. 202 Xiaobei Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Business hours: 09:00-10:20, 11:00-14:30, 17:00-21:30
Recommended: Beiyuan Shrimp Dumpling King, Green Tea Sweet Thin Strong, Honey Sauce Steamed chicken claws
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Source: Beiyuan Restaurant Official
Beiyuan Restaurant was founded in 1928 and has a history of 94 years, accompanied by the growth of generations of Guangzhou people.
Here is a quaint, a pond, a small bridge, and a gray brick with Lingnan garden characteristics. It is also known as the number one garden restaurant in Guangzhou.
1964, Guo Moruo went abroad to visit Vietnam to drink morning tea at a restaurant, giving a poem "Drinking morning tea in Beiyuan is like getting home, I go abroad in an instant, and drink tea when I return."
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Sweet thin sturdy
Beiyuan has been popular in Lao Guang's heart for so many years, the most important thing is to be refined. As the saying goes, dim sum, dim sum, and every bit of care, Beiyuan takes this to the extreme.
shrimp dumplings are the snacks of Cantonese morning tea . Beiyuan’s shrimp dumplings are not big in size, fresh ingredients, fresh and sweet and firm in the mouth, which is definitely worth a try.
Thin is a Guangdong specialty snack, fragrant, sweet and glutinous. Beiyuan has added oats to the thin bra, soft and crispy, and those who love sweets cannot miss it.
03 Guangzhou Restaurant
Address: No. 2 Wenchang South Road, Guangzhou
Business hours: 08:00-14:30, 17:30-20:30
Recommended: Jinding Fresh Shrimp Dumpling King, Yaozhu Yuzi Dried Steamed Stewed Stewed Wheat, Aged Fruit Fragrance Beef Ball
In Guangzhou, if you dare to use the city name as the name of the restaurant, it is just Guangzhou Restaurant. This is a time-honored brand reputation created by strength.
Guangzhou Restaurant is known as the "first food in Guangzhou". Wenchang Main Store is located in Laoxiguan. The store is full of birds singing and flowers. The environment is quite elegant. Drinking tea and delicious food here can best experience the real life of Guangzhou people.
Shrimp Dumpling King is the absolute signature of Guangzhou restaurants. The most important thing about the traditional shrimp dumplings in Lao Guangzhou is that the skin must not be less than 12 folds.
If you look closely, the skin of the shrimp dumplings is translucent, white as snow, and thin as paper. There are thirteen folds on the belly of the half-moon shrimp. The orange-red shrimp wrapped in it is looming, which makes you look greedy.
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Aged fruity beef balls, source: Guangzhou Restaurant
Combine the fragrant tangerine peel with soft, tender and chewy beef. Only Lao Guang can think of this combination. The beef balls made is tender and juicy, retaining the sweetness of the beef while removing the fishy smell of the meat. After eating, there is still the fragrance of the peel in your mouth.
Many people say that Guangzhou teahouses no longer have the smell of childhood. For many old Guangzhou people, they come here not only for the sake of delicious food, but also for the family to sit together and enjoy the pleasant time of drinking tea.
04 Lianxianglou
Address: No. 67, Dishifu Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou (Recent Century Holiday Hotel)
Business hours: 9:00-21:00
Recommended: lotus paste bag, chicken cake , egg yolk lotus paste moon cake
Guangzhou century-old brand Lianxianglou, since the 18th year of Guangxu (1892) store, has a history of 130 years. There are many branches. The famous Lianxianglou in Central, Hong Kong was originally just a semicolon in Guangzhou, and then it was later converted to its own operations.
Most of the other stores now only sell cakes - locals buy souvenirs and buy married girls' cakes often come here. The old store opened in , Liwan District, , and is still operating the tea market. It has the longest history and has been with the old street for 130 years. When I was a child, I came here to buy chicken cakes and became the childhood memories of countless young ladies and young masters in Xiguan.
Lianxianglou is the originator of lotus paste filling. Lotus paste snacks are the treasure of the restaurant, and the word "lotus fragrance" in the name also comes from this. The hand-fried Xianglian cotton is smooth and smooth, complementing the oily and sweet salted egg yolk. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, egg yolk lotus paste mooncakes are in short supply. If you go to the third floor to sigh tea, not eating a lotus paste bag is equivalent to being a waste.
There are many teahouses on the 10th Street. Compared with those new-style teahouses that know how to innovate and come from behind, Lianxianglou is a little bit powerless. The taste of refreshments has not improved over the years, and marketing has not kept up with the pace.
But the spirit of the old shop is that no matter how unsatisfied the outside world, it still retains the time-consuming, thankless and unforgettable snacks that are not made in the new teahouse. Unfortunately, I have never seen Pig Runyaki Mai for many years, and I can still eat it when I come to Lianxianglou.
05 White Swan Hotel
Address: No. 1, Shamian South Street, Liwan District, Guangzhou City,
Business hours: Hongtu Mansion 2nd floor 8:00-14:30
Recommended: Yangcheng fresh shrimp dumplings, lanren sacchima, Swan crisp
Guangzhou girls should have a beautiful photo taken in front of the "hometown water" of the white swan! In China's first five-star hotel, listening to the sound of water in my hometown and looking at the beautiful scenery of Baietan , it is a Cantonese "sighing life" program, carrying the beautiful memories of countless overseas Chinese and old Guangzhou.
Usually, go to Hongtu Mansion on the second floor to choose the right location to see the great river view.Queuing is inevitable. According to the guide given by friends in Guangzhou, 7:30 in the morning and 11:00 in the afternoon are the best waiting time. You can get the seat after rushing to the store for half an hour.
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Yangcheng fresh shrimp dumplings
Source: White Swan Hotel official account
Shrimp dumplings are a must-order, with four pieces in a cage, crystal clear powder, cute and gratifying. The skin is thin and transparent, and the filling is shrimp meat accompanied by diced bamboo shoots and lard. It will make you pick up your teeth in one bite. It is worthy of the number one protagonist in the morning tea world.
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lenten sacchima
lenten sacchima, eggs are soft but not sweet. With a pot of tea and opening the newspaper, it looks like a classic Cantonese morning tea.
In fact, compared with the newly opened teahouses on the market, the White Swan price is high and the service fee is high. Locals' attitudes towards it are polarized, but it is undeniable that it represents the glory of Guangzhou morning tea culture.
06 Silver Ding Food Mansion
Address: 3rd Floor, Guangzhou Thirteen-Hang Cultural Technology Center, No. 37, Xidi Erma Road, Guangzhou City (East side of the main gate of the Cultural Park)
Business hours: 08:00-16:30, 17:00-22:30
Recommended dishes: crystal prawn dumplings, matcha osmanthus cake, black truffle osmanthus mushroom chicken kernel taro horn
Speaking of the tea house privately collected by old Guangzhou, it has a 34-year history and "Pingliangzheng" represents the Silver Ding Food Mansion absolutely on the list. In January 2020, due to the rental period, Silver Lamp closed down, and countless neighbors came to have their last meal of tea. In less than half an hour, all the numbers were sent.
Fortunately, it was violated for 600 days, and Yindeng Restaurant returned last year. It is also one of the few time-honored brands that are still insisting on making night tea. After reopening, it still retains the most traditional all-day tea market - three teas and two markets.
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Crystal prawn dumplings
Crystal prawn dumplings are a must-try. One is about the same size as a fist. The thin and crystal-clear shrimp dumpling skin vaguely reveals the pink shrimp. The shrimps are fresh and sweet and chewy, and the umami taste is about to come out and full of juice. We counted and found that there were about 3 big shrimps inside. No wonder old diners called it "shrimp bread".
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3Foot-flavored carrot cake
In addition to traditional refreshments, Silver Lamp has also added innovations to give a new interpretation of some snacks. For example, this dish of black truffle Odori mushroom chicken taro horns, adds black truffle , olive mushroom, chicken horns and other ingredients to the honeycomb taro horns. The outer layer is fried lightly and loosely, and the inner taro paste is dense. The sweet taro fragrance collides with the mellow aroma of the black truffle, full of layering.
The crispy egg paste that Lao Guang misses is fried until golden and coated with lemon . It is crispy in one bite and it tastes like when I was a child. Looking through the diners' comments, many people chased from the Haizhu Square old store to the Cultural Park new store. The taste and environment are still familiar. Everything has not changed, and the feeling of night tea still exists.
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Boat porridge
Teahouse has allusions, refreshments have a world, and the Cantonese tea drink can become intangible cultural heritage entirely thanks to the old Guangzhou people's love for drinking tea. The feelings of old Guangzhou people who love to drink tea have not changed for a century. It is eight o'clock in the morning. Don't think about anything, drink tea first!
Editor: Hattie
Editor: Phoebe Ruka Judy
