Young Hong Kong tea connoisseurs on mission to make drink cool again
Three local brands started by millennials offer high-quality teas that are sourced ethically from around the world
Whether it’s the tepid brew used to rinse your utensils at your local cha chaan teng, the inky pu’er served with dim sum or the delicately brewed Earl Grey as part of an afternoon tea service, tea is almost as ubiquitous in Hong Kong as the water in which we brew it.
Possibly because it is so common, tea seems to attract little attention these days, compared with its cousin in the beverage world, coffee. But three young entrepreneurs in Hong Kong, who also happen to be tea connoisseurs, are trying to conjure up interest in the mighty leaf.
“I always loved tea as a child and found it hard to find good tea shops in Hong Kong. Traditional tea shops tend to be very stuffy, formal affairs, but to me tea is a relaxing experience, like reading a book or gathering with friends and family. I wanted to recreate this experience at Teakha,” she says.
Tea is part of the daily lives of many and there are tens of thousands of varieties, but we found that people tended to stick to one or two staples. And it’s not because they’re not curious, they just find it too much hassle to randomly try teas
By extension, with Plantation Chan says she hopes to make tea “a casual and fun affair while maintaining the highest quality possible”. For example, she says Plantation has created its own hand-tied teabags.
