China is the spiritual home of tea. "Cha" in Cantonese and "Tay" in Fukienese are considered the origins for the word "tea" in languages around the world.

Going to Chinatown is like leaving New York and entering China. Take one step in, you see one historic brick buildings after another, with seemingly misplaced red and gold store signs. This maybe America, but from banks to McDonald's to pay phones, everything is identified in Chinese. Listening to the Chinese spoken all over and feeling the energy of lives crisscrossing - that's Chinatown.

A Chinatown street corner	A dried foods shop

'@With stores in Chinatowns in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, with all three locations held in high regard, Ten Ren Tea & Ginseng Co., Inc is one of the most notable tea dealers in New York.
The Taiwanese establishment is known for its selection of aromatic tea leaves. There are about 30 different types of tea measured and then packed in the gold colored cans, ranging from about $2 to $30 for 3.5oz. My favorite is the slightly sweet smelling and tasting "Lychee Tea".
Our next installment will be an interview with Ten Ren's owner Mark M. Lii. I will be asking him about the history of his shop and about his thoughts on the current state of tea in New York.

Tea leaves come in cans like these	Lychee tea leaves