Forking Tasty

Secret Tea in Camden Market

We all know the British love their tea. With the rise of the Starbucks era you might feel the age old tradition of tea time fading. At least visually speaking. As you scan the street landscape you’re more apt to find a coffee shop than a tea shop. Don’t get me wrong, you can still grab a wonderful cup of tea at any corner shop in London, just follow the builders. The difference is in how you enjoy that cup of tea. Sitting in a Cafe Nero or a Costa Coffee provides that quiet, comfortable and relaxed atmosphere “tea time” used to include. The problem is that these shops are strongly centered around coffee. From what’s in your cup to the same named cake available under the glass counter, it seems like tea is fitting in less and less with our go-go-go world. From a visitors perspective, one of the MUST DO’s when in Britain is to properly enjoy a proper cup of tea. (Take note of that double “proper”) I hunted for this but with no luck. Then I stumbled into the quintessential tea experience in the last place I ever thought possible…

Tea Time in Shanghai

Floating Teahouse, Shanghai China from Anthony Anello on Vimeo.

Old Shanghai is quite amazing. The buildings really remind you of the ancient time of China. We heard about the floating teahouse in old town and figured we needed to experience tea time. The Tea House is in the middle of this village and is surrounded by water. There are 4 zig zag walkways that lead to the Teahouse. We ordered a bunch of different tea which were refilled about every 5 minutes. As soon as you take a sip or 2 the waitress comes by with hot water and fills you up. They also gave us a bunch of treats to eat with our tea. The video will show the tea and some of the different treats. The experience was great and the teas were something we had never had before. Deeeelicious!