A Guangzhou Guide to Yum Cha1 广州饮茶指南

威尔·吴　葛娇娇

Acclaimed as the food capital of China， Guangzhou has lavish2 delicacies3 to offer gourmands4. Arguably， its most famed repast5 is yum cha （ literally ‘drink tea）， or， to be more specific， yum jou cha6 （ ‘drink morning tea）.

Dating back to the Qing Dynasty， traditional yum cha refers not only to drinking tea but also to the devouring of dim sum， an abbreviated form of the phrase dian dian xin yi （‘little greetings）. This expression was supposedly coined during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. A general of the period was so moved by his soldiers devotion and valor that he had numerous types of local pastries delivered to the frontlines so they could feast， as a symbol of his salutations and appreciation.

In olden times， Cantonese people used to enjoy yum cha at a very early hour， normally 5am or 6am—it was originally an exclusively morning refreshment7， hence the name. These days， many local teahouses and restaurants serve it all day.

Puer， oolong and chrysanthemum are the most common varieties of tea served during yum cha， while ha gau （shrimp dumplings）， siu mai （open dumplings， usually pork）， feng jau （chicken feet）， cha siu bau （barbecue pork buns）， nor mai gai （sticky rice with chicken wrapped and steamed in lotus leaf）， cheung fun （ rice noodle roll）， lor bak go （turnip cake） and dan ta （egg tart） are among the most popular items wheeled past on a dim sum cart.

A standard pack of eating utensils8 for yum cha includes a little bowl with a spoon， a small teacup placed on a plate and a pair of chopsticks. All except the chopsticks are typically ceramic9. Though sometimes misused， the plate is actually meant solely for waste. Cantonese often use the first serving of tea to wash the eating utensils， a ritual to sterilize the implements.

Several interesting customs have arisen around yum cha， each with a colorful story about its origin. When a teapot refill is needed， the lid is simply left ajar10， stemming from a folk tale set in ancient southern China. A rich man asked for a top up11， but when the waiter lifted the teapot lid， the rich man claimed that the server had released a rare thrush12 and demanded compensation for his loss. As a result， teahouses started to ask diners to lift their own teapot lids as a signal for more hot water.

When tea is served， it is customary to tap the table with two fingers of the same hand， as a way to say thank you to the person pouring the brew. This habit can be traced to Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty， at a time when he was traveling incognito13 to Guangzhou. When he and his bodyguards stopped for lunch at a local teahouse， the emperor poured tea for his companions. In order not to draw any attention， his followers tapped the table instead of kowtowing to express their gratitude.

Now that you know a little about the history and etiquette of yum cha， its time to try some authentic examples. We have rounded up some of the most-loved traditional spots serving up this Cantonese tradition.

Taotao Ju

Built in the reign of Emperor Guangxu， Taotao Ju is a time-honored brand in Guangzhou. In 2005， it was declared a municipal cultural heritage spot. Located on Dishifu Lu in Liwan District， the teahouse has maintained its Lingnan architectural style， with a hexagonal14 pavilion at the top of the building. Every day between 6am to 8am it is packed with senior citizens. Feng jau and ha gau are a must-try here， brought around on the traditional dim sum carts that are becoming increasingly scarce.

Lianxiang Lou

Lianxiang Lou was first started as a bakery in 1889 and earned its name from the high-quality lotus paste it used to make moon cakes. Located in the same neighborhood as Taotao Ju， Lian-xiang Lou can handle 600 diners at one time. Cakes， such as chewy pork biscuits and preserved egg puff pastry， are the main attractions of this restaurant， while the cream custard bun is another appealing eat.

Panxi Restaurant

Situated inside Liwanhu Park， Panxi Restaurant offers not only traditional Cantonese dim sum but also a scenic view. Built in 1947， it boasts several well-known delicacies， such as rabbit-shaped ha gau， pear-shaped lotus paste puff pastry， thousand-layer pastry， deep-fried dumplings， deep-fried soup dumplings and steamed water chestnut pudding.

Guangzhou Restaurant

Currently， Guangzhou Hotel has a grand total of 11 branches. The location on Wenchang Nan Lu is the oldest， opened in 1935. Known as the ‘restaurant giant of Guangzhou， the brand is acclaimed for its crab meat soup dumplings and Shawan buffalo milk tarts. Hand in hand with its fame come steeper prices than the other restaurants listed here.

Nanyuan

If you want to enjoy your tea and dim sum in a quieter spot， Nanyuan on Qianjin Lu is an ideal choice. The colorful windows， blue bricks and green tiles， pavilions， terraces and open halls all showcase Lingnan culture. Although the dim sum is average， the ambiance15 inside has made it a Guangzhou favorite.

Beiyuan

Beiyuan enjoys a history of over 70 years. Located on Xiaobei Lu， the whole restaurant was built like a private villa in the traditional Lingnan style. The artificial landscape inside gives the whole restaurant the appearance of a well-preserved garden. Beiyuan is another hot hangout for senior citizens with a taste for the classic. Make sure to order red rice noodle rolls and be prepared to raise your voice—the hall is normally abuzz16 with chatter.

广州被誉为中国的美食之都，各色佳肴丰富而奢侈，供美食爱好者品尝。它最有名的一餐可以说是饮茶（字面意思是“喝茶”，也称“早茶”）了，更确切地说是饮早茶（“喝早茶”）。

广州的饮茶可追溯至清代。传统的饮茶不仅指喝茶，还包括吃点心。点心是“点点心意”这一说法的简称，据说创造于东晋时期。当时有一位将军见战士们奋战沙场，英勇杀敌，甚为感动，遂命人烘制各类当地糕点送至前线，犒劳战士，表达对战士的敬意和谢意。

过去，广东人喜欢一大早去喝茶，通常早上五六点就去。茶原本只在早上喝，因而得了早茶这个名字。不过现在当地很多茶馆和餐厅全天都供应茶点。

普洱茶、乌龙茶和菊花茶是早茶供应的最常见的茶叶品种，而虾饺、烧卖（通常为猪肉馅）、凤爪、叉烧包、糯米鸡、肠粉、萝卜糕和蛋挞则是茶点车上推送的最受欢迎的茶点了。

一套标准的茶点餐具包括：一只小碗里放一把勺、一个盘子上放一只小茶杯，还有一双筷子。除了筷子，其他餐具通常都是陶瓷做的。盘子有时会被用错，其实是用来装食物残渣的。广东人有个习惯，就是用第一泡茶水烫洗餐具，给餐具消毒。

关于早茶已经形成了几种有趣的习俗，每个习俗的起源都是一个生动的故事。如果想给茶壶加水，只需将茶壶盖揭开一半。这个习俗源自中国古代南方的一则民间故事。有个富翁要求给茶壶加水，可当服务员打开壶盖时，富翁咬定他放走了一只稀有的画眉，要求赔偿损失。结果，茶馆开始要求茶客们自己揭开茶壶盖，以示想加热水。

茶斟好后，茶客通常会用一只手的两根手指轻扣桌面，感谢为自己斟茶之人。这一习俗可追溯至清代的乾隆皇帝。有一次乾隆皇帝微服出巡，行至广州，与侍卫们在当地一家茶馆停下吃午饭。席间，乾隆给侍卫们倒了茶。为了不引起别人注意，侍卫们轻扣桌面代替叩头，表示感谢。

现在大家已经知道一些关于早茶的历史和礼仪了，是时候去几家实体店品尝一下了。以下是我们收集的一些最受欢迎的广式早茶老字号。

陶陶居

陶陶居建于光绪年间，是广州的一家老字号，2005年还被评为广州市文物保护单位。陶陶居位于荔湾区第十甫路，茶馆保持着岭南建筑风格，屋顶盖有一座六角亭。每天早上6点到8点，这里挤满了上了年纪的茶客。凤爪、虾饺是这里必点的点心，放在传统的点心车上送来，这种点心车已经越来越罕见了。

莲香楼

莲香楼于1889年开业，原是一家糕酥馆，后因其用于制作月饼的莲蓉用料讲究，遂得其名。莲香楼跟陶陶居位于同一條路上，可同时容纳600多人就餐。其招牌糕点是鸡仔饼、皮蛋酥等，而流沙包则是另一道诱人的点心。

泮溪酒家

泮溪酒家坐落于荔湾湖公园内，这里不仅能品尝到传统的广式点心，还有美景可供欣赏。泮溪酒家始建于1947年，有几道美食颇具名气，如绿荫白兔饺、像生雪梨果、鹤鹑千层酥、蜂巢蛋黄角、生炸灌汤包和泮塘马蹄糕等。

广州酒家

广州酒家现有总共11家分店。最早的一家位于文昌南路，于1935年开业。广州酒家被誉为“食在广州第一家”，凭借其蟹肉灌汤饺和沙湾原奶挞两款点心而备受好评。早茶本就价格不菲，与本文推介的其他餐厅相比，广州酒家名声更响，相伴而来的价格也更高。

南园酒家

如果想在一个较为安静的地方喝茶、吃点心，前进路上的南园酒家是个理想的选择。玻璃彩窗、青砖绿瓦、亭台楼阁无不展示着岭南文化。尽管点心很普通，餐厅内的环境却让它赢得了广州人民的喜爱。

北园酒家

北园酒家位于小北路，有着70多年的历史。这家餐厅建得像一幢岭南传统风格的私家别墅。里面的人工景观让整家餐厅看起来像一座保存完好的园林。北园酒家是喜好经典粤菜的老年人的另一个热门去处。来这里一定要点红米肠，还要做好提高嗓门的准备——因为大家都在聊天，大厅里通常闹哄哄的。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖选手，单位：常州信息职业技术学院）

1 yum cha饮茶，早茶。  2 lavish大量的。  3 delicacy精美的食物;佳肴。  4 gourmand喜欢吃喝的人;吃货。  5 repast餐;饭菜。  6 yum jou cha饮早茶。  7 refreshment食物和饮料。

8 utensil（家庭）用具，器皿。  9 ceramic陶瓷。  10 ajar（门等）半开着的，微开着的。  11 top up（重新斟满杯子的）补充饮料。

12 thrush画眉。还有一说放走的是金丝雀。  13 incognito伪装;隐姓埋名。  14 hexagonal六角形的;六边形的。

15 ambiance周围环境，气氛。  16 abuzz嘈杂的;闹哄哄的。