Hello World! This is Taizhou Morning Tea!

Taizhou is a water town with a river running through it, known as the "Phoenix City" due to the ancient Fengcheng River that embraces this city. It's a land of waterways and a pinnacle of culture. For the people of Taizhou, the flavor of happiness in this city, nestled among the Yangtze River, Huai River, and the sea, often condenses into a morning tea ritual. Taizhou's morning tea stands as the most direct cultural expression of the city's brand, persisting through time, ever vibrant.

[Photo via Haitangchun Tea House in Taizhou City]

Brew a pot of delicate tea, order a plate of blanched tofu threads and a steamer of crab roe buns, and enjoy a bowl of fish soup noodles... It's a feast that's abundant yet humble, fulfilling the cravings of taste buds with ease.

[Photo via Haitangchun Tea House in Taizhou City]

Taizhou's morning tea, often accompanied by clear tea, features tofu-based dishes, with a prominent favorite being blanched tofu threads. The texture of these threads is smooth and tender, offering a delightful taste. Crafted from hand-cut dried tofu, they are softened by soaking in alkaline water, drained after a few repetitions to remove excess moisture.

[Photo via Haitangchun Tea House in Taizhou City]

Compared to crab roe soup dumplings, the people of Taizhou prefer crab roe and pork buns. These buns are made with roe and meat from the crab of Lake Qinhu, combined with locally distinctive Jiangquhai pork. The resulting crab roe and pork buns boast a rich and savory flavor.

[Photo via Haitangchun Tea House in Taizhou City]

Yangcao, a unique plant indigenous to China, thrives abundantly in Taizhou. Combined with mushrooms, finely chopped and meticulously prepared as filling, these ingredients are wrapped to create Yangcao and mushroom dumplings, offering a delicious and healthy treat.

[Photo via Haitangchun Tea House in Taizhou City]

"Jumping noodles", a renowned element in Taizhou's morning tea, are made with a distinctive method. Crafters ride a pole, bouncing up and down, using their body weight to press the dough. This technique results in incredibly resilient noodles that are excellent whether served in soup or used for stir-fry dishes.