Morning tea has already become a lifestyle activity and a way of relaxing. It is not about eating and drinking but rather involves enjoying the surroundings, soaking up their ambience and getting that special feeling that only morning tea can bring.
The peak time for morning tea usually starts around 9 am amongst the bustling crowds and scurrying waiting staff. It comes to an end around ten and is as popular as any banquet. Some people linger longer but, most nine-to-five workers can only do this on Saturdays.
Morning tea as a type of leisure activity is especially popular in southern China. With its location next to Guangdong, Hainan has inherited the province's morning tea culture and now after years of development, is comparable to it. It has become the custom for Hainanese to go to a teahouse to enjoy morning tea, which is available both in big restaurants as well as in small hotels and tea houses. In Hainan, you may greet the morning by enjoying a cup of tea with some snacks, chatting with friends or just idling away the time.
The characteristics of morning tea in Hainan are summed up by the expression "simple tea and rich snacks". There is no special or famous brand of tea but there are a wide selection of snacks on offer that are categorized as small, medium, large, premium or special. The dishes are similar to those eaten during a Guangdong morning tea and include lamb, beef game broth and seafood. Available vegetarian food features local Hainan characteristics to some extent, e.g. coconut cake with sticky rice, rice dumplings, fried rice rolls and assorted cold dishes.
