Grand Tea and Imports

Chocolate-glazed Dragon Pearl Jasmine Tea flavored doughnuts are available for a limited time only from @fanfandoughnuts . The brilliant baker behind the neighborhood fav swung by our store to pick up some fragrant Jasmine tea to whip up this indulgent treat. It is also topped with a #sap fortune cookie that contains a special message of solidarity. . To make this collab extra sweet, proceeds from the sale of the doughnuts will be directed to @welcome.to.chinatown. So if you’re in the downtown NYC area, be sure to check it out!

Amidst our feelings of fear and grief, we are finding solace in the tradition of honoring the strength and memories of our ancestors. So many who survived untold hardships of poverty, insecurity, and ostracism. . Qingming or Grace sweeping Festivala time when we visit our ancestors’ grave to pay respectsis fast approaching. We worked with @chinatownfutures and @_mcork to capture how our family continues to honor our roots and adapt our cultural traditions.

As Lunar New Year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to recount the progress that we’ve made as second generation owners of our parents’ shop. There’s still so much learning to dofrom our parents and community around how to preserve a cultural business for the future. When covid halted our operations, we knew that our brick-and-mortar store need to go digital. Trouble was, we didn’t know where to start. We had thousands of items that needed to be categorized and so...rted. We didn’t know if our niche, sometimes esoteric, goods would resonate with communities beyond Chinatown. And we had little to no experience with web design, product photography, and copy (which @sendchinatownlove and @welcome.to.Chinatown have all been incredible sources of support). @google’s #growwithgoogle Mainstreet COOP program was critical in helping us make the pivot into the new (and intimidating!) world of online business. Combining the input of our designer friends, photographers, and writers, we were able to create a new channel to share our goods and reach new places through an @shopify presence. As we continue to evolve our business, we’re excited to share our journey with you. We’re grateful to receive help from @google’s #growwithgoogle and other partners and are hopeful that the legacy and traditions of those that came before us can carry on. Shoutout to @_Dianabunny for the deconstructed ox illustration that includes elements from our shop. See if you can spot any familiar items!

When Lunar New Year wraps up in several days, we celebrate Yuanxiao ()which falls on February 26th. Also known as the Spring Lantern Festival, families typically celebrate by lighting paper lanterns and eating glutinous rice balls ( tangyuan). Both traditions allow us to end the Spring festival on a sweet and bright notewith the lanterns helping to pay respect to the spirits and signaling a luminous path forward. . We have so many cute and traditional lantern options available online. Our personal faves are these Ox Zodiac ones that can be assembled quickly with an LED light included. Each side also features a male and female Oxsymbolizing the theme of duality. Place your orders soon for fast shipping and in-store pickup so that you can celebrate Yuanxiao with us!

@npr did a story about how Lunar New Year looks a little different for the Chinatown community this year. Like many other mom-and-pop shops, covid has dealt a severe blow to our operations. The recent snow storms and a holiday shipment held up at port also made drumming up extra business during the festival season even more difficult. But our family is determined to rally on with the community’s support. Today, we are inviting lion dancers to join us from 2-3pm to beckon better fortune and happiness in the New Year. We would love to celebrate with you (in a socially distanced) this afternoon! Reporting by @cfvspetersen and pictures by @mengwencao. Lion dancing to be joined by @patricknvrsleeps.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Years by indulging in fresh blooms for loved onesand yourself (because we can’t neglect self-love)!! We’ve got roses, narcissuses, carnations, peach blossoms, lucky bamboos, tea trees, fire lilies and more in stock at our store!