Food

Time-honored teahouse a master of jasmine heritage

By Wang Wen (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-09 08:01

A tea steward pours a cup of jasmine tea into a patterned porcelain cup, both of which are considered icons of Beijing's tea culture.

While regular green tea is preferred in springtime, often the jasmine scent is added in for summer. With a range of flavors produced by differing green tea bases and proportions of jasmine, only veteran tea drinkers can tell the finer subtleties of the popular beverage.

Wuyutai, famous for its jasmine tea, is a Beijing brand with a history dating back to 1887 that can do just that.

More than just sell the stuff, Wuyutai is in the middle of an application to make jasmine tea part of the city's intangible cultural heritage.

The history of the teahouse is encapsulated in its name. Wu Xiqing, its founder, came from Anhui province to open a tea store in Beijing in late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Wu named the shop Yutai, which was later updated to include his family name.

Wuyutai is most famous for its secret jasmine tea recipe - a sought-after proportion of green tea and jasmine that rings the right note for tea lovers.

According to tradition, the recipe is passed down to the male members of the family - until now. The current descendent and manager is Sun Danwei, a woman with a nose for tea.

The growth of Wuyutai has been rapid. Despite the long history, its current brand name was only registered in 1997. Over the last 23 years it has blossomed, with 180 stores now functioning in Beijing.

"We produce hundreds of kinds of jasmine tea," said Chen Xi, a representative for Wuyutai. "More than 45 percent of sales in our stores are from jasmine tea."

The company also released nine jasmine teas for the Shanghai Expo in 2010. Chen added that they are focusing on diversifying their products, with creations such as tea food, tea ice cream and tea candies.

"Tea candy, with green tea and jasmine tea flavors, will be our main product next year," Chen said.

China Daily

(China Daily 12/09/2010)