Explore the 24 Solar Terms Through Seasonal Delights at This Trendy Tea Shop

Oct 23, 2023

A mystifying and transcendental culinary experience awaits at 远古本店 Yuǎngǔ Běndiàn, a Chinese-style afternoon tea hotspot with several metropolitan locations that are frequented by Beijing locals. Here, you’ll be sipping tea from small clear glass cups and using chopsticks to share sophisticated desserts. For those looking for an alternative to British afternoon tea, Yuangu shines for its historical ambiance, moderate sweetness, and poetic connection to Chinese philosophy.

Yuangu's desserts, which can be ordered individually or in sets of four to six, are cleverly named after the 24 solar terms, or 节气 jiéqì, a tribute to Emperor Wu of Han’s new calendar from over 2,000 years ago. The solar terms were originally developed by a Zhou Dynasty astronomer, who measured shadows cast by the sun to decide upon the 24 solar terms as a guide for agricultural activities.

Even today, the solar terms and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have a philosophical relationship with Chinese food and diet throughout the year. Often considered China’s fifth-greatest invention, the 24 solar terms were added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2016.

Each of these four season-themed desserts are accompanied by an ornate paper label to indicate the season. The menu is bilingual, but the paper labels are all in Chinese. The dessert set, a pitcher of rose tea, and a pitcher of lychee tea came to just over RMB 300 for two people to share.

Spring: 茉莉青茶酪 Jasmine Tea MousseSince jasmine tea is traditionally consumed in spring, jasmine is the chosen base flavor for this dessert. Served in cut-out bamboo, this dessert had more of a foam-like texture than that of a mousse. The initially strong jasmine tea flavor fades into a pleasant bitterness that lingers briefly on the tongue, making this my favorite of the four desserts.

️Summer: 豆乳茶糕 Soybean Matcha CakeAccording to TCM, fermented soybean releases body heat, making soy the perfect ingredient for a summer-themed dessert. This summer cake is topped with soy milk of an unusually marshmallow-like thickness, unlike the soy milk that you’d find in everyday breakfast joints. The thin cake underneath has a subtle matcha taste.

Fall: 柚子酪 Pomelo MousseThe pomelo flavor of this dessert has a sour bite, but the pistachio powder sprinkled on top neutralizes the sour taste for a balanced mouthful. Pomelo is plentiful in the fall harvest, making it a great flavor choice, while the colors of this dessert bring to mind the varied oranges and yellows of autumn leaves. Extra pistachio powder lines the side of the mousse for added sweetness.

️Winter: 雪耳百合团子 Lily Tremella CheesecakeThe richest of the four desserts, and the most obvious in symbolizing its season, this winter-themed treat takes on the appearance of a snowball, with a single lily bulb resting atop. This dessert is called a cheesecake on the menu, however, I found it to be more like a brie, with notes of lily and tremella adding a slight sweetness to the cheesy dessert. Commonly used in winter soups, snow fungus (tremella) and lily are both said to aid in alleviating winter dry cough.

With a cavernous stone entryway and flooring, central skylight, wooden tables, and benches with plush seating, Yuangu is a minimalist teahouse. At the Nanluo location, there were also several tables upstairs, as well as rooftop seating with a beautiful view — although you may not want to be seated outside in this heatwave!

Yuangu's Nanluo location is one of three in Beijing, alongside their Jianchang and Huaomao stores. If you’re going on a weekend, it’s best to go early as the teahouse fills up quickly — at around noon, already no open seating remained. You may wish to have an early afternoon tea and grab lunch somewhere else afterwards. The Nanluo location is set in a small alleyway off the main Nanluodajie tourist street of shops and snacks. Those interested in a visit to Lama Temple or looking to browse shops and restaurants on a less crowded street might opt to visit the Huamao location instead.

YuanGu Bendian (Nanluo Guxiang) (元古本店(南锣鼓巷店)Address: 沙井胡同3号Hours: Mon-Sun 11:00-02:00

YuanGu Bendian (Jianchang) 元古本店(箭厂店)Address: 箭厂胡同34号Hours: Mon-Sun 12:00-20:00

YuanGu (Huamao) 元古 (华贸店)Address: 建国路89号华贸中心北区19号楼元古Hours: Mon-Sun 11:00-24:00

And, for a primer on Chinese teas, follow the link here

Images: Joshua Hiller, The Hutong