Zaocha, or early breakfast tea, is something of an institution in Taizhou, East China's Jiangsu province, and one of the best places to sample it is at the Haitangchun tea house.
The century-old tea house brand now operates two tea houses in Hailing district.
One of the main reasons behind the brand's longevity and popularity is its commitment to providing customers with the freshest and most authentic offerings.
For example, Yuan Haijun, the director of the tea house, wakes at 6 am every day just to go to the market to purchase ingredients.
Yuan Haijun has moved the front desk to the entrance of his tea houses. [Photo/WeChat account: weihailing0523]
Yuan has also hired a 75-year-old inheritor of the five-flavored gansi (shredded hard bean curd cakes), a classic breakfast dish in Taizhou, to work in his tea house.
"I prefer to stick to the traditional taste instead of innovating," said Yuan. "Protecting and inheriting traditional cuisine is a way to protect the cultural heritage of the city and enhance the happiness index of people."
Yuan has also moved the front desk to the entrance of tea houses to better interact with customers. He often shares the history of Taizhou Zaocha to customers from other cities when they are queuing up.