The Workings of an Authentic Chinese Tea house (a hidden gem)

I never would've thought four months ago that I'd be managing a Chinese tea house. Before this point in my life I drank a glass of peppermint tea with lemon when I was sick, and every once in a while an iced tea for a natural boost of energy. I knew nothing about medicinal teas, or that a few herbs could cure anything from the common cold to preventing cancer recurrence. Now here I am, drinking a Rooibos Mate blend to help with my allergies.

So today I'm gonna take you guys on a tour! I love where I work and I'm sure you all will, too. :)

As soon as you walk into the shop the aroma immediately hits you. It's like, a weird (but amazing) mix of Dimsum and sweet tea. Some people come in just to purchase tea, others come in for food and tea at our tables. Our tea is by the ounce, and we have more than 350 teas. It may sound like I'm trying to sell you something, and maybe I am, but mostly I'm programmed to do so. I genuinely love where I work!

And yeah, you heard right, we serve Dimsum! All organic and made from scratch, I'm surprised I haven't gained weight working here with all the dumplings I've eaten. For those of you who don't know what Dimsum is, it's kind of like Chinese Tapas. We serve dumplings, steamed buns, fried rice cake, xiao long bao, and other slight variations of those things.

The teas that we offer, though, are what really have my heart. I first started coming here with my mother for our weekly meet-ups, and soon after started investing more time and money in teas and the accessories that come along with loose-leaf tea. Around this time I had just switched to a new medication to control my contraction-level period cramps. I felt constantly nauseous, dizzy, and it was hard for me to even function day to day. Tanya the owner recommended a tea for reducing inflammation, and I still don't know what that had to do with my uterine issues but it worked! I drank a whole pot of the tea she gave me one morning and for the first time in months I felt myself again. After that point, I was hooked! I started drinking another tea for reducing stress and anxiety (this tea has in it globe amaranth, jasmine, linden leaf, blue tea, chamomile, and many other flowers). People come to the shop with all sorts of issues, ranging from migraines to rare blood disorders, and we always have a tea for them. Of course I would be more than happy to give you guys some herbal advice! ;)

We offer a Chinese tea ceremony at each table. We use an instrument called a Gaiwan to strain caffeinated teas, and a glass teapot for herbal blends. We strain the teas into community cups, and from there each person can pour the tea into their tea cups. It's such a unique and fun experience to have someone (me) brew tea for you, and is incredibly relaxing. In America we are all about getting things as quickly as possible, and quickly become frustrated when the Starbucks drive-thru doesn't move fast enough. At Yellow Mountain Tea House you have the chance to enjoy the making of tea, and just as well the tea itself.

It's been slightly difficult for me to write this post! There's so much to mention about the tea house, but for now I'll leave it at that. If you have any questions, please please ask me! If there's another subject about the tea house or Chinese herbs that you think I should make another post about, let me know!