Business Spotlight: Grand Tea & Imports
Welcome to Chinatown spoke with Alice Liu of Grand Tea & Imports, purveyors of unique teas, spiritual goods, and Chinese cultural products, and grant recipient of The Longevity Fund. Alice and her family run GTI as a multi-generational family business, and are a source of not only the goods themselves, but also knowledge about their significance and associated cultural practices.
From left to right: Alice Liu, and her parents, Mr. Zhong Ming Liu (a.k.a. “Teafucius”), and Mrs. Liu (a.k.a. “Bosslady”/老闆娘 ) (Photos by Steven Yen Photography)
Tell us about Grand Tea & Imports!
My dad, Zhong Ming Liu, started the shop in 2006 as a tea store after he returned to China for the first time after living in the US for 20 years. Back at his hometown, he noticed how tea consumption was ingrained in everyday life and revered as a cultural treasure—which contrasted with the free, sometimes bland, tea that was served at restaurants in America. He started the store to share his knowledge and raise awareness about tea culture, while introducing varieties of teas that would better represent the hometown flavors of other Chinese immigrants. Over time, he’s gained a reputation for his knowledge and is known as “Teafucius” in the neighborhood.
We were a bit ahead of our time in 2006. Tea did not resonate as a high-value product yet, so we had to downsize from our original plans and regain our footing. In 2011, a Buddhist goods store at 301 Grand Street that had been a real cultural anchor in the neighborhood was closing down. My dad saw an opportunity to combine tea with cultural and religious goods to create a more well-rounded business, and we moved into that storefront.
What led your dad down the path of tea culture?
I think my dad really missed home, and wanted to highlight the thriving tea culture at his hometown Taishan. I think he also pursued this line of business because he wanted us, his daughters, to be very comfortable and rooted in our culture. He used the business as a vehicle for teaching us family values, life philosophies, tradition, language, and culture.
What are some traditions that are part of your family business that you wish people knew more about?
We see tea being consumed and marketed as a lifestyle or health drink (e.g. boba tea or detoxifying brew). Tea is all of this, but it is also the drink of everyday people, criss-crossing both ordinary and extraordinary times.
Tea is always involved in life’s most memorable moments: when you go yum cha — eat dim sum — with family, tea is involved. When you get married, the bride and groom conduct tea ceremonies to show respect to their elders, and in return are welcomed as new members in each other’s family. When you replace used incense or clean the shrines of loved ones who have departed this earth; you always offer tea. Tea is there for happy, solemn, and veneration purposes.
Tea is also about friendship. Tea is a way to bring people together to chat and care for each other while exchanging stories and ideas. In Cantonese and southern Chinese culture, people always sit around the table after a meal is over for tea time talk — a time to informally catch up.
Tea is a very live, multi-faceted thing for us. It is ceremonial and casual. It is common yet special. We want to highlight tea’s ubiquitous presence in our lives and invite people to take part in these moments with a greater appreciation for the drink.
What do you love about Chinatown?
I have the luxury to have grown up unequivocally confident about my culture. I hear a lot about ABCs (American-born Chinese) who lack confidence in being Asian, and I feel lucky to have grown up in a space where I could flourish with people that look like me. I am comfortable being Chinese American and don’t have to struggle to find a balance between the two.
My parents didn’t experience Chinatown as kids, but I think they found security in the community knowing that their identity and culture wouldn’t be ostracized. They didn’t have to throw themselves away to be in this country.
(Photo by Steven Yen Photography)
If someone walks into your store, what are three things they should absolutely get?
One of our teas: I personally recommend the Iron Goddess of Mercy (鐵觀音/“tie guan yin”) tea which I sourced myself and always comes fresh as spring or autumn harvest.
Incense: We’re very proud of our incense collection. We have a huge collection of over 40 types with every single smell. Some are for everyday practice and some higher-end, hand-rolled ones are for special occasions. We also have cone and coil incenses as well as varieties that burn horizontally or vertically.
Incense holders: We also have every type of incense holder too — from clay and bronze to porcelain and wood. We have incense holders for more specialized incenses, like plates that allow coil incense to burn for hours and ceramic holders that allow the smoke from cone incenses to cascade like a waterfall.
How can people support your business?
We are still recovering from the damage caused by a fire that broke out and damaged the storefront that we were in the process of moving out of. A lot of our goods, which are very vulnerable to water and fire damage, including some tea reserves that we had been saving for 20 years were destroyed. You can donate or buy a gift card at a webpage set up by Send Chinatown Love. And we’re working on our website to sell more goods online.
Stop by and buy some tea! The most accessible part of the business is the tea. I’m also working hard with my sister Karen to make our merchandise accessible to everyone, through translations into English and sharing our knowledge.
You can also pay a visit to Grand Tea & Imports at 298 Grand Street — stop by, say hello, and browse their amazing selection!
Chinatown establishments like Grand Tea & Imports are what makes the spirit of our neighborhood. We need your support now more than ever before to keep that spirit alive. Please consider making a donation to our small business relief fund, The Longevity Fund, or help us spread the word of what’s at stake. Together, we can preserve Chinatown businesses and help say Chinatown will always be open for business.
