New takes on Chinese tea culture from a roaming all-female teahouse

Wenhui Zhang of roaming teahouse Thé Jinjin vigorously whisks matcha while greeting customers pulling in for a pit stop at her pop-up hosted by Île Flottante. People record themselves tasting drinks of matcha marbling in oat milk.

The all-female pop-up teahouse collective brings a twist on East and Southeast Asian flavours with their specialized menu, mostly consisting of matcha. The teahouse collaborates with Asian chefs, DJs, and ceramists to encourage community efforts. For Zhang, Jinjin is a passion project to bring Chinese tea culture to Montreal’s culinary scene.

Matcha isn’t just the main character of Jinjin’s menu; Zhang incorporates ingredients like oolong into the hojicha oolong peach iced latte. The oolong syrup’s warm, spicy, and floral notes complement hojicha’s nuttiness while enhancing the sweetness of muddled Ontario peaches.