Chinatown Sips: Tea Edition

Written By Jacqueline Church

As we experience the eleventy-thousandth month of spring in Boston (rain, snow, hot, cold, nor’easter) we await the relaxing warmth of summer. In one of those “is it a cold or is it allergies” moments, I found a tea that you must try. This “Eight Treasures” tea begins with red dates, AKA Jujubes. (Not those icky candies that were always in my “to trade” pile at Halloween.) These jujubes are known more broadly as Chinese red dates are the key ingredient in this traditional brew. We see them in our favorite herbalist’s shop, Nam Bac Hong (now on Tyler St.) as well as in Jia Ho the supermarket we also visit on our tours.

Eight Treasures Tea

  • Jujube or Chinese Red Dates

  • Chrysanthemum tea

  • Dried Cranberries (or Goji)

  • Ginger, one large slice fresh

  • Dried citrus peel

  • one Whole star anise

  • Crystalized ginger or more fresh ginger

  • Rock sugar or honey, to taste

Rinse the dried ingrients (including the chrysanthemum tea); snip the dates and remove the pits. Add all ingredients in a smallish pot and bring to boil, simmer for an hour or more. Let it sit and steep. You’ll find this so warm and comforting. And it’s loaded with vitamin C and anti-inflammatory ingredients.
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Sipping spaces

A great place to relax or meet a friend for a quick catch up over gelato or George Howell coffee, MEM teas, Cafe Darq owners Kathy Phan and husband Axel have created a beautiful spot both indoors and outm, with window seats and patio tables.
Tea-Do is my go-to for great boba (ask for reduced sugar and notice the quality of the teas!) Enjoy Japanese sunnaku, too. Spam onigiri perhaps?

shopping for flavors

Looking to try a few new flavors? Head to Jia Ho supermarket and peruse their extensive selection. On a quiet morning you can head to Hei La Moon and ask for two teapots and hot water, let them steep, then do your own tea tasting. I enjoyed sipping two different teas with a tea expert and artist Paul Angiollilo. We chose a

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Sipping with the Pros

I did this recently with Paul Angiolillo who is an artist, sculptor and tea sommelier.

A bit about Paul:

Paul Angiolillo discovered the pleasure of tea-drinking as an undergraduate at Yale U. (Constant Comment teabags), and then rediscovered the joys of this world’s most-popular beverage in the 1990s, while a journalist and editor in the Greater Boston area. To learn more about teas, he took a position for a year at Upton Tea Imports in Holliston MA. Today, he gives tea-tasting classes and presentations on the history, culture, and arts associated with tea for educational programs, as well as in private homes and institutions, including the Peabody-Essex Museum (Salem MA), the Mariposa Museum (Peterborough NH), and the Golden Ball Tavern Museum (Weston).

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Jacqueline Church