Sichuan Border Tea has a long production history. Since the Song Dynasty, successive dynasties implemented the "Tea-Horse Law," and during the Ming Dynasty (1371–1541), "Tea-Horse Offices" were established in Ya'an and Tianquan, Sichuan to manage tea-horse trade. By the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, border tea produced in Ya'an, Tianquan, and Rongjing was designated exclusively for sale in Kham and Tibet, known as
Shengtang Mountain Wild Tea is a specialty of Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County in Laibin City, Guangxi. “Wild tea” refers to tea plants that have not been cultivated, domesticated, or extensively utilized by humans. The taste of wild tea is often bolder and more distinctive than that of plantation tea, with greater infusion endurance and relatively rich nutritional content. To strengthen the wild tea brand and boost farmers' incomes, Jinxiu County in Guangxi
The romance of the Chinese people is reflected in many aspects, and the coffee world is no exception, with one of the most typical examples being the naming of coffee beans. Generally, coffee bean names are rather “rigid,” often based on origin, growing regions, and so on. Today’s featured coffee beans carry a beautiful and straightforward meaning: Hua Kui. In Chinese, it signifies the “king of all flowers,” or in other words, the best coffee beans. To put it cautiously, it refers to those that have won top honors in certain competitions. The Hua Kui from Ethiopia’s Sidamo region has conquered people’s taste buds with its unique flavor.
Ma Lake Tea. Ma Lake’s clear spring water, Huanglang pre-rain tea. The warm and humid climate around Ma Lake is very suitable for tea tree growth. “The tender buds are smaller than a sparrow’s tongue; brewed with clear spring water, the fragrance is delicate and pure, the taste sweet and fragrant, refreshing to the soul, leaving a lingering aroma on the palate.” Ma Lake spring tea is carefully harvested and processed. To produce tea like the legendary “magpie beak,” where “every single leaf tip stands upright,” in the past it was essential that only “young boys” pick the leaves. Pre-Qingming buds are all winter buds, and the picked tea buds must not contain even the slightest trace of frost damage, nor can the buds be injured during picking. Every step—fresh leaf selection, fixation, rolling, and drying—must be done entirely by hand, relying on experience and passed down through master instruction. The techniques are kept secret and are never easily taught to outsiders.
Osmanthus tea…
A few years ago, the first nationally patented signature dish — “Braised Pork Face” — became a hit in Beijing. Today, this patented offering from Jin San Yuan Restaurant in Chaoyang District has been given a new twist — Braised Wild Boar Face. What makes “Braised Pork Face” so appealing is its pure aroma, pleasant texture, and balanced nutrition. As for the “Braised Wild Boar Face,” made with mountain black pork...
White Tea (named for the white frost on its surface, commonly called Tengpo Tea), is a precious wild highland tea from Yaoshan. It grows deep in the mountains, beside clear springs, nourished year-round by thick mist and untouched by any air pollution. It tastes sweet after brewing and leaves a long-lasting fragrance. White tea is rich in vitamins and various macro and trace elements (such as potassium, calcium, magnesium...
Lu Zhou Huo Shao is a well-known dish in Beijing, made by cooking baked wheat bread along with stewed pig intestines and lungs (sometimes also using pig kidneys), all in one bowl — giving you a main, a side, and a hot soup. The specific preparation process goes like this: cut the cleaned pig small intestines and lungs into small sections and put them into a broth seasoned with various spices and condiments...
Sheep blood sausage has disappeared in Beijing. In 1987, I had my last bowl at a Hui Muslim food stall on East Fourth West Avenue. From then until now, over 17 years have passed without a single trace of the sausage. This past Spring Festival, I took time to visit the Temple Fairs at Ditan Park, Dongyue Temple, and White Cloud Temple, but came away disappointed each time. Sheep blood sausage…
“Shuicheng Spring” tea is rich in organic selenium and more than ten essential trace elements required by the human body. This tea boasts high quality, a unique flavor, and a long-lasting aromatic fragrance. It has a bright yellow-green infusion, a rich, mellow, and refreshing taste, along with tender, even, and bright green leaves. Regular consumption of this tea can effectively help prevent and treat various conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes, delay aging, enhance vision, eliminate radiation damage, and counteract the toxicity of various heavy metal ions. It is a natural, pollution-free green food with superior quality.
Snowflake ice dessert, also jokingly called "homemade ice cream," was an affordable treat that children from poorer families in the old society could buy. In winter, large blocks of floating ice from the Yongding River were cut out, wrapped in straw mats, and stored in cellars. In summer, these were taken out and shaved into fine ice fragments using a special ice scraper, then mixed with egg whites, hawthorn juice, and topped with candied fruits. At that time, ice cream...
Throughout Beijing’s streets and alleys, both in the past and today, you can find homes serving stewed intestines with dough slices. In earlier times, even more vendors carried this food around on shoulder poles. Especially when the sun sets, as the stewed intestines begin to simmer and are sold, their distinctive aroma can be detected from afar. Those who love this delicacy will follow the scent, ordering a bowl...
Rice Ball with Sweet Stuffing, a traditional Beijing snack, is typically available around the Lunar New Year in Beijing’s snack shops and continues to be sold until late summer or early autumn, making it a seasonal treat for spring and autumn. Nowadays, it is available year-round. This snack has a long history — according to the "Notes on the Inner Palace" written by the eunuch Liu Ruoyu during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era: “Glutinous rice mixed with…”
Sugar Roll Fruit is a renowned snack in Beijing’s culinary scene, beloved by both domestic and international diners, especially popular among female customers. The main ingredients of Sugar Roll Fruit are yam and jujubes, complemented by supporting ingredients such as green plums, peach kernels, and melon seeds. Fresh yam is highly nutritious, containing protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and other components, and has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine...
Wenjun Tea has long been praised by literati and scholars for its unique ecological environment, exquisite processing techniques, and the legendary tale of Wenjun brewing tea at her wine stall. During the Song Dynasty, it gained widespread fame as an “imperial tribute tea.” Huqiu Imperial Tribute Tea is produced in the “No. 1 Tea Garden in the World” within the Huqiu Scenic Area in Pingle. In the Qing Dynasty, it was honored by Emperor Kangxi as the “No. 1 Tea Garden in the World” as an imperial tribute. Wenjun Green Tea
Crispy fried dough twists are a common variety of Beijing’s halal snacks. These crispy twists can be found not only in Beijing but also in southern China, with largely the same shapes and textures. In addition to crispy fried dough twists, Beijing also offers sesame twists, deep-fried noodle twists, and honey-glazed twists. As a poem in *A Hundred Verses on the Foods of the Old Capital* goes: “Fried dough twists and sesame cakes of the capital city, in countless varieties you may freely glut—delicious...”
Bean Paste Pastry is a common variety among Beijing snacks, named for its red bean paste filling. During baking, the pastry naturally opens up along the edges, causing the filling to ooze out and cling to the sides—earning it the vivid nickname “Toad Spits Honey.” The making process involves first mixing white flour with a small amount of baking soda and water to form the dough...
Candied hawthorn on a stick is both sweet and tangy, suitable for all ages. Not only is it delicious, but it also looks very appealing. Bright red hawthorn fruits are skewered on bamboo sticks in size order and coated with a layer of crystal-clear sugar glaze. Vendors often display them by inserting the skewers into a specially made wooden pole, resembling a small tree laden with ripe fruit — an absolutely enticing sight...
Ginger Strips, also known as Ginger Juice Strips, Crispy Ginger Strips, or Honey Ginger Strips. It is not only a traditional Beijing snack but also a type of Beijing tea cuisine. Tea cuisine refers to ceremonial foods of the Manchu and Hui ethnic groups. When hosting banquets, the Manchus typically serve tea and tea snacks first, followed by cold meats, hot dishes, sweets, and soups — always in a specific order. The Hui people do not drink alcohol, but out of courtesy, they often substitute tea for wine, making tea cuisine an essential part of the meal. The Ginger Strips from Nanlaishun were named “Famous Beijing Snack” and “Famous Chinese Snack” in 1997.
Tang Huo Shao is one of the common breakfast snacks enjoyed by locals in Beijing, with a history of over 300 years. The version from Da Shun Zhai is the most famous. First, brown sugar is mixed with flour, rubbed apart, and baked until cooked. Then, sesame paste, osmanthus, and oil are added to make the sesame paste filling. Dry flour is mixed with fermented dough, which is then allowed to ferment and neutralized. After resting, the dough is divided into 500-gram pieces and kneaded...