Just next door to the Hakka Museum, is a herbal tea museum. Entrance here is also free, but since it's an old building, they also prefer that you booked in advance before you visit them. Prior to this, I have never heard of Ho Yan Hor herbal tea before, but my husband seems to have.....
You can learn a lot about the history of this brand in the museum, specifically at the second floor. The building is super old, so even the stairs are a bit fragile. They do control the crowd here, which was kinda nice. Ho Yan Hor was a business man who decided to start selling mobile herbal tea to the tin miners and worker around Ipoh on his bicycle.
Above is the actual photo of him. His brand has taken off and can now be found in most pharmacies in Malaysia, and there are even canned drink version of it sold in supermarkets.
Here is an official information photo about the brand.
And since it's a Chinese herbal drink, it's based on Chinese medicine. The tea is supposed to be cooling, or at least, that's what my husband mainly drink it for.
Here are some of the herbs used, I guess. I am interested in TCM, but I never do get around to learning it, sticking only to the usual herbs I like for making soup. I never medicate myself, I just make soup that I find soothing and energising for myself.
The museum also shows equipment used to make traditional herbal tea or medicine. We have such peddling vendors in Penang last time, selling herbal tea along the road sides too. My dad would sometimes stop by for a drink. You could add more herb powder to make them more bitter, hence more cooling. I'm not a fan.
The kitchen area on the ground floor was a fully equip old style kitchen.
This is what a mobile herbal tea vendor looks like. We also have these table with tea existing in Singapore, usually in front of a chinese medical hall or herbal soup. They are also sold by the bottle, in cafe and kopitiam too.
For Ho Yan Hor, they basically sold 4 types of herbal tea. You get to try them after your tour before you step out of the museum. They will explained to you each one, and also offer a special bundle to you if you want to drink them. For some reason, I like the more bitter one, the one which my husband hates. I also like them served cold in a can. But I must say, they aren't cheap. So I don't drink them at all unless I happen to be in Ipoh, then maybe I'll go in and get a can to support them. My husband on the other hand, buys boxes of them whenever he comes to Malaysia, cause to him the food in Penang is too heaty for him, so he needs all these cooling drink to balance his internal body. -_________-
Sample cups of different herbal tea to try. I do not like ginseng drink unless it's in a soup :P
Some of the retro collection and tins from bygone days.
Fanboy selfie :P
