All the Tea in Chinatown

During the 1850s, the number of Chinese in California increased greatly due to the Gold Rush. The language barrier forced the Chinese to band together and as a result, San Francisco’s Chinatown developed its own organizational network based on traditional Cantonese structures. The 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed all of Chinatown, but the Chinese returned to the area and rebuilt. Chinatown, bounded by Krearny, Powell, California and Broadway streets, continues to have the highest density of any neighborhood in the city.

According to Shirley Fong-Torres, owner and founder of “Wok Wiz Adventures” walking tour, the drink of Chinatown is, beyond a doubt, Oolong tea with ginseng and chrysanthemum flowers.

In China, there are sacred gardens that produce tea. At one time, the tea in these sacred gardens was only allowed to be touched by the skin of the Emperor. All others wore silk gloves. These sacred gardens still exist -- Green and Oolong teas -- fall into this category.

Oolong is a semi-oxidized whole-leaf tea in hues ranging between a pale cherry and deep red. The water used to prepare Oolong is very important. It should contain calcium and be odor free.

Adding ginseng, “gives energy to experience Chinatown” and the chrysanthemum “helps the eyesight,” says Fong-Torres.

Visit  www.wokwiz.com.

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who has traveled with Shirley Fong-Torres several times. They last met in Hawaii when they judged the Kona Coffee Festival.

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