Tea shop and folk coffee stir-frying

The predecessor of Dad's tea shop-- Western-style tea shop

When it comes to dad's tea shop, the impression of the old Hainan people is-arcade and western-style tea shop, which is the earliest form of dad's tea shop. Its emergence and development, as well as the management content of these tea shops and tea customers' habits, are all closely related to the history of Hainan, the returned overseas Chinese of Hainan and the living habits of Hainan.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the government attracted overseas Chinese capital to invest in their hometown. Overseas Chinese returning from Nanyang countries have successively built arcades on Zhongshan Road and Changdi Road in Haikou, resulting in the rapid development of trade in this area. The overseas Chinese not only brought capital, but also brought back the living habits they had formed in Southeast Asia. Slowly, along the busy arcade streets, "Western-style tea shops" began to appear for businesses and residents to rest.

According to the memories of the elderly, the tea shops at that time were mainly coffee, black tea, milk, coffee milk, black tea milk, Awatian and cocoa, as well as all kinds of pastries. There are also special tea chefs and pastry chefs in the shop, mostly by returned overseas Chinese from Southeast Asia. They have brought special production methods, including coffee beans, which are all fried by the tea master himself, and their fragrance can float far away in the side streets of the arcade.

At that time, these Western-style tea shops were generally those with a good income at that time who could afford to go in and spend.

Western-style Tea Shop is becoming civilian-- the emergence of Dad's Tea Shop

After liberation, the number of Western-style tea shops in Haikou and all over the island increased again. However, it was not until the 1970s that state-run tea shops and private tea shops emerged one after another, so that more Hainan people could go into tea shops and enjoy the treatment that high-income earners could have.

The price of tea slowly came down. At that time, coffee was a dime, black tea was seven cents, plus bread and cakes, it was only 20 or 30 cents per meal, and the tea shop was unlimited, so many tea drinkers got into the habit of sitting for hours.

After the 1980s, private tea shops began to add some elements that Hainan locals like, such as mung bean soup, sweet potato soup, tea fruit, and so on, both sweet and salty, which were gradually accepted by more and more Hainan people. especially some middle-aged and elderly people who have plenty of time. During this period of time, this way of drinking tea, which is accepted by many people, has gradually been called "Dad Tea" by Haikou people. "Dad" in Haikou dialect refers to the middle-aged and elderly.

Of course, the saying of "drinking dad's tea" is actually more called by Haikou locals. Similar tea shops all over Hainan Island are usually simply called "tea shops". Personally, I think that the title "Dad Tea Shop" can more vividly express the history and livelihood status of this kind of tea shop.