Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Before modern pharmacies and over-the-counter painkillers, there was leung cha. The intensely bitter herbal “cooling teas” were brewed in massive brass cauldrons in Hong Kong’s traditional open-front shops.
For many, the dark, earthy, grassy mixtures are an acquired taste. But for generations of locals, they are century-old remedies served in ceramic bowls. The “medicine” is used to help sore throats, flush out seasonal “dampness” and reset bodies run down by stress.
According to records from Hong Kong’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, there were at least 385 Chinese herbal tea shops in the city as of late 2025.
This network operates alongside hundreds of commercial chain outlets and Chinese medicine dispensaries.
The practice of drinking cooling teas originated in China’s southern Guangdong province, Lui Ka-chun said. He is a Hong Kong author and food writer.
Younger people’s focus on wellness has made leung cha popular once more, Lui said.
“Over the past few months, I’ve noticed that young people are super health-conscious,” Lui shared. Many of them are in their twenties, he added.
