If you’re familiar with some of the more prominent figures in the specialty tea industry, the name Roy Fong may sound familiar. While many know him as a tea merchant, others recognize him as an author—and more recently, as an aspiring tea farmer in the United States, a relatively uncommon distinction.
Roy Fong, tea expert and founder of Imperial Tea Court
According to biographical accounts, Fong’s interest in tea began at a young age. As a child growing up in Hong Kong, he would often pause on his walk to school to observe local workers preparing tea using traditional gong fu brewing methods. This early exposure eventually developed into a lifelong passion.
Years later, that passion led to a business venture importing Chinese teas into the United States. In 1993, Fong took a major step by opening Imperial Tea Court in San Francisco, widely regarded as one of the first traditional Chinese teahouses in the U.S. The business continues to operate today and has expanded to additional locations.
As an author, Fong has contributed to a variety of publications and further established his expertise with the 2009 release of The Great Teas of China. The book was previously featured in this roundup of books exploring Chinese tea history and traditions, where it was noted for combining detailed knowledge of tea production with personal insights from his extensive experience traveling through China.
Fong’s most ambitious project may be his work as a tea farmer. In recent years, he acquired land in California’s Bay Area with the goal of establishing a working tea farm. When the project was discussed in this article on early efforts to grow tea in California, the land was still being prepared and tea plants had yet to be established.
Tea cultivation is a long-term endeavor, and it can take several years before newly planted tea bushes reach maturity. Still, the project represents an exciting development for domestic tea production in the United States. For the most recent updates, see this progress report on the California tea farm project.
While it may be some time before tea from this venture becomes widely available, it remains an intriguing example of how traditional tea culture continues to evolve in new regions.
See more of William I. Lengeman’s articles in this archive of tea articles and industry commentary.
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