Submitted by Lin He
This recording was made at a busy teahouse in downtown Guangzhou, China. At this time of day, teahouses can be packed, and as you might hear - today was no exception.
In the background you’ll hear people preparing for their meal. One man, looking up from his menu shouts out "Ok, Who likes roast goose? Let me look for it on the menu." After deciding what to order, you hear the clamour of everyone moving around their cups and bowls to rinse them with boiling water. A woman, a non-native speaker of Cantonese asks “Do I need to rinse the plate too?” Her hosts reply that she should.
The Culture of Morning Tea in Guangzhou
In the past, waiters would push carts past the table, and people would select what they like. But nowadays, people are expected to use a menu, and order things by marking boxes by pencil and submitting their order slips. Although the advent of modern dishwashing equipment makes rinsing utensils with water redundant, it remains part of the ritual of starting morning tea. There’s a very particular set of rituals, and people like to follow them to this day.
Morning tea in Guangzhou primarily refers to the food more than the drink, so people say they are going to eat morning tea. Traditionally, this meal can last for the whole morning if people have time to relax and enjoy themselves. It’s a great way to catch up with friends and family, and as you can hear, people are having some lively conversations. Outsiders might ask: “Don't they have to work?” “How can they spend the whole morning drinking tea?” For people in Guangzhou, morning tea is a reflection of the importance of slowing down to enjoy life, and its not something to be rushed…
