Yangzhou Morning Tea: Savoring Slow Life in Century-Old Teahouses
Yangzhou morning tea, affectionately called "pi bao shui" (meaning "water wrapping the stomach") by locals, is a tradition that combines delicate dim sum, fragrant tea, and a leisurely charm, and has long been a representative of the city's life aesthetics. To experience the most authentic Yangzhou morning tea, several classic teahouses are not to be missed. Founded in 1885, Fuchun Tea House is known as the "originator" of Yangzhou morning tea; it is not only a carrier of the UNESCO-certified intangible cultural heritage project, but its antique courtyard layout also makes people feel as if they have traveled back in time. Here, you must try the signature "Kuilongzhu" tea—a tea that skillfully blends the freshness of Zhejiang Longjing, the elegance of Anhui Kuizhen, and the fragrance of Yangzhou Zhulan, allowing you to taste the tea flavors of three provinces in one sip. Yechun Tea House (Yuma Tou Branch), adjacent to Slender West Lake, is a model of garden-style teahouses. Sitting by the window, you can see willow branches gently brushing the water surface outside, which is extremely comfortable. Now, it has also opened branches in Singapore and Beijing, allowing more people to experience Yangzhou's flavors. Gonghechun Tea House is a "favorite" among locals; its old store on Ganquan Road offers excellent value for money, with a per capita cost of 30-50 yuan to enjoy a hearty morning tea.
When tasting Yangzhou morning tea, several classic delicacies must not be missed. Crab Roe Soup Dumplings have a thin skin like cicada wings wrapped in rich soup. When eating them, you should follow the tip of "lift gently, move slowly, open a window first, then sip the soup"—use the provided straw to suck the soup, and the delicious taste bursts in your mouth instantly. Silken Tofu Shreds show the exquisite knife skills of Yangzhou chefs: a 2.7 cm thick piece of dried tofu is first sliced into more than 20 thin layers, then cut into thin shreds, drizzled with shrimp roe soy sauce and sprinkled with tender ginger shreds, with a smooth and delicate taste. Three-Dice Buns are filled with chicken diced, pork diced, and bamboo shoot diced, and are full of juice. Among them, the Three-Dice Buns from Fuchun Tea House were once praised by Premier Zhou Enlai. Jade Vegetable Shaomai uses spinach juice to color the wrapper, with a sweet and salty filling, and the aroma of sesame oil is tangy, making every bite full of layers.
To have an authentic Yangzhou morning tea experience, you also need to pay attention to a few details. It is best to arrive before 7 a.m.—popular teahouses like Fuchun often have long queues after 8 a.m. When ordering, it is recommended to first order a pot of tea (Kuilongzhu is excellent for cutting grease), then taste Silken Tofu Shreds to whet your appetite, then slowly enjoy the buns, and finally finish with Crab Roe Soup Dumplings, experiencing the flavor changes step by step. The most important thing is to slow down; locals often sit in teahouses, drinking tea and chatting, enjoying hours of leisure time. There is no need to rush—just immerse yourself in the comfort of this "slow life". Yangzhou morning tea has long gone beyond the category of a "meal"; it is a way of life inherited for a hundred years. Every bite of food and every wisp of tea fragrance tells the history and warmth of Yangzhou.
