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Tea is becoming a distinctly Chinese way to flaunt wealth and invest savings

On a humid September Saturday, a group of 20- and 30-something professionals gather at a tea house in an industrial building in a now gentrified Hong Kong neighbourhood.

They sniff and sip a type of Oolong tea from tiny, white china cups while making notes on its aroma, body and aftertaste, and consider what food with which to pair it.

Part of a generation that had eschewed tea leaves in favour of the lattés, espressos and frappucinos sold by international chains like Starbucks, young Chinese are rediscovering the country's tea drinking tradition.

And in doing so, they have sparked a boom that is both a cultural and business phenomenon.

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China's fascination for tea mirrors the Western captivation withaccompany a hearty French casserole. She also likes to pair teas with different types of chocolate.

"It's like wine. You serve something more gentle or with more body depending on what you eat. Tea is the same way."

Modern manner

Ricky Szeto, the executive director of Hong Kong herbal tea maker Hung Fook Tong, has also found business success repackaging a traditional product in a manner that catches the attention of younger consumers.

Teas infused with medicinal herbs have long been a popular drink in southern China to help relieve the effects of hot and humid summers and damp winters.

Traditionally sold by the bowlful at corner shops from bronze urns, Mr Szeto says the business was a "sunset industry" by the 1980s, when vendors were hit by sky-rocketing rents.

The company also has