Hong Kong's Gen Z revives century-old herbal tea shops with bitter brews

Hong Kong's traditional herbal tea shops, where century-old bitter brews simmer in massive brass cauldrons, are finding unexpected champions in health-conscious Gen Z consumers who are helping preserve a fading neighbourhood trade.

Ancient Remedies in Modern Times

The intensely bitter "leung cha", cooling teas dispensed from traditional open-front shops, predate the arrival of modern chain pharmacies and over-the-counter painkillers in the city. These dark, earthy, grassy decoctions are served in ceramic bowls and represent an acquired taste for newcomers.

Traditional Uses and Cultural Significance

For generations of local workers, the century-old remedies have been consumed to treat ailments including sore throats, seasonal "dampness" and bodies weakened by urban stress. The herbal concoctions are formulated to address conditions such as excess internal heat.

The revival is documented in the first instalment of a four-part Health Matters series on traditional Chinese medicine by Lisa Cam and Ashlyn Chak, which examines how young people are rediscovering these historic brews and supporting neighbourhood tea shop owners in safeguarding what has become a dying trade.

Source: South China Morning Post