https://www.scmp.com/rss/500198/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Last December, Sotheby’s Hong Kong announced the launch of its inaugural Puer tea online auction with 20-plus lots, spanning from century-old antiques to modern day tipples. The highest bid of US$71,600 (HK$562,500) went to a 1950 Blue Label tea cake weighing around 330 grams – a lot celebrated not just for its antiquity, but because it is from a rare batch made during the municipalisation of tea production in China. One of the oldest forms of tea, Puer is a variety of fermented black tea... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3177579/why-old-chinese-tea-can-be-worth-more-wine-or-whisky?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3177579/why-old-chinese-tea-can-be-worth-more-wine-or-whisky?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 May 2022 08:00:17 +0000 It’s considered the most expensive tea in the world. In 2002, a mere 20 grams of Da Hong Pao was auctioned off to a purchaser for $28,000, worth more than its weight in gold. For centuries, this dark oolong tea, cultivated in the mountains of Fujian Province in China, held an air of luxury. Six so-called mother trees, believed to contain the original leaves, are protected by armed guards. The highest-quality leaves reserved for “honored guests.” One story goes that Chinese premier Zhou Enlai... https://www.scmp.com/food/da-hong-pao-worlds-most-expensive-tea/article/3123090?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/da-hong-pao-worlds-most-expensive-tea/article/3123090?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Feb 2021 08:54:35 +0000 Discerning tea drinkers will tell you that water temperature is important when brewing tea. But how do you know when it’s hot enough? In China, there is a ceramic toy called a pee-pee boy, with a novel way of letting you know when your water is hot enough for brewing tea. Pour water over the little guy, and if he starts to “pee,” you’re good to go. A pee-pee boy is what’s called a tea pet. Tea pets are ceramic toys that react to hot water. Tea drinkers often have them on the table for... https://www.scmp.com/culture/how-chinese-pee-pee-boy-thermometer-works/article/3107792?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/how-chinese-pee-pee-boy-thermometer-works/article/3107792?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Oct 2020 08:54:06 +0000 India and masala chai are inextricably linked in the popular imagination. Across the country, the sweet and spicy aroma of chai (which means tea) wafts out of homes, offices and railway stations.  Its rich, creamy consistency invokes comparisons to coffee, and even in Starbucks it is as much a part of daily life as its bean-based competitor. And if we read the tea leaves closely, we will see that the history of masala chai is intertwined with China and its own troubled history with the British... https://www.scmp.com/food/india-empire-and-china-history-masala-chai/article/3040228?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/india-empire-and-china-history-masala-chai/article/3040228?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Dec 2019 10:10:04 +0000 The city of Yixing in eastern China is synonymous with teapots. Here, virtually ever street corner has an artisan specialized in the craft of making teaware. Their most well-known export is the reddish-brown Yixing teapot. Often found in curio stores and specialty tea shops, they’re ubiquitous in Chinese communities around the world. In Yixing, their hometown, the teapots have been popular for over 500 years. Tea connoisseurs believe that the porous pots can absorb and enhance the flavor of... https://www.scmp.com/food/china-yixing-teapot/article/3018649?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/china-yixing-teapot/article/3018649?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jul 2019 08:47:16 +0000 There are a lot of different teas out there, and understanding what sets them apart can be challenging. But first, where does tea come from? Strictly speaking, all tea—whether it’s green, black, or white—comes from one plant: Camellia sinensis. Everything else commonly referred to as tea—such as chrysanthemum, barley, and chamomile tea—is technically an herbal infusion. True tea, the kind made from Camellia sinensis leaves, has its origins in southeastern China, where the plant grows natively in... https://www.scmp.com/food/chinese-tea-guide-green-black-oolong/article/3016816?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/chinese-tea-guide-green-black-oolong/article/3016816?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2019 11:04:33 +0000 Longjing green tea is widely regarded as China’s finest tea. Made from pan-roasted leaves picked in the southeastern city of Hangzhou, the tea has been prized for centuries, even receiving an emperor’s endorsement. And every April, when the first flush of longjing leaves sprout, there is a mad frenzy in Hangzhou to pluck the best ones, sending longjing prices as high as $100 per ounce. “It’s special because it had a celebrity endorsement,” says Tracy Lesh, a certified tea specialist who leads... https://www.scmp.com/travel/april-cruelest-month-buyers-chinas-finest-tea/article/3004695?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/travel/april-cruelest-month-buyers-chinas-finest-tea/article/3004695?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Apr 2019 10:14:49 +0000 The Jiaotong Teahouse in Chongqing started as an unassuming canteen for transport workers in the 1970s and eventually became a popular gathering spot for the local art community. Today, artwork depicting life in the city hangs on Jiaotong's well-preserved walls. Locals say it’s the most authentic place to experience old Chongqing. https://www.scmp.com/travel/inside-last-chongqings-old-school-teahouses/article/3001125?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/travel/inside-last-chongqings-old-school-teahouses/article/3001125?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2019 10:00:06 +0000 As far as green tea goes, China's Longjing (Dragon Well) tea is one of its most famous. Qing dynasty emperor Qianlong was apparently a big fan of Longjing tea, and granted imperial status to 18 tea bushes in the Longjing Village, in eastern China's Hangzhou city. Today, many of the terraced tea plantations by the West Lake will let tourists relive some of the emperor's leisurely pursuits. And only the leaves harvested from the West Lake region can be graded as Xihu Longjing, widely regarded as... https://www.scmp.com/travel/where-pick-chinas-famous-longjing-green-tea-emperors-once-did/article/2155677?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/travel/where-pick-chinas-famous-longjing-green-tea-emperors-once-did/article/2155677?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jul 2018 10:15:15 +0000 In Hong Kong, milk tea is a ubiquitous beverage that’s found on nearly every block. On the daily, the city is estimated to drink around 2.5 million cups of milk tea a year. That’s 8.5 Olympic-sized pools of the brown beverage. While milk in tea is nothing new, Hong Kong’s rendition is particularly unique. It’s a mixture of heavily oxidized blended black tea leaves and evaporated milk, at a general ratio of 70 to 30. The tea is boiled and strained through a cloth filter multiple times, a process... https://www.scmp.com/food/why-hong-kongs-milk-tea-class-its-own/article/2154850?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/why-hong-kongs-milk-tea-class-its-own/article/2154850?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jul 2018 10:27:17 +0000