The culture of tea drinking arose in Sichuan around 3,000 years ago, and the province is still faithful to the ancient brew. Many people carry thermoses of tea with them at all times, and if you ask for ‘water’ in Chinese language in Sichuan, the assumption is that you want tea unless you specify ‘white water’. A perfect afternoon for Sichuanese is spent lounging back in a teahouse and engaging in fiddle or play – playing cards or mahjong, or just prattling. Traditional teahouses are atmospheric in their quaintness, with bamboo chairs and ear cleaners and people quacking over games of mahjong all day long. But Sichuan’s larger cities also now have a wave of modern teahouses where the décor is plush, the service is ceremonial, traditional tea shows pay tribute to the philosophy of tea, and the price of a premium tea can cost as much as a manager’s monthly salary in Chengdu. We will experience Sichuan’s culture of tea in our food tour called Flower Pepper Duck.