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New here? Start Here
A guided path through the site: brew one cup, learn the tea types, pick your teaware, and try a ten-minute ritual. Also see the FAQ.
How to Brew Chinese Tea for Beginners
Hot water, good leaves, and a little patience. A simple method that works for most Chinese teas, plus the mistakes beginners usually make.
The Six Kinds of Chinese Tea, in Plain Language
One plant, six very different cups. The difference is what happens to the leaves after picking.
The six kinds of Chinese tea
- Green tea
- Yellow tea
- White tea
- Oolong tea
- Red tea, called black tea in English
- Dark tea, including pu-erh
Special section: Pu-erh
Pressed tea that changes over time, and why people argue about it.
Pu-erh, in Plain Language: Sheng vs Shou
Sheng ages slowly on its own; shou is fermented faster on purpose. How to tell them apart, and how to choose.
Latest
Black Tea for Beginners: The Warmest Cup in Chinese Tea
In China it is called red tea, for the colour in the cup. A beginner's guide to what black tea is, what it tastes like, and how to brew it.
All articles
Tea Brewing Timer: How Long to Steep Each Tea
A free tool: pick your tea, get the water temperature, leaf amount and steeping time, then start the timer. No sign-up.
How to Brew Chinese Tea for Beginners
Hot water, good leaves, and a little patience. A simple method that works for most Chinese teas, plus the mistakes beginners usually make.
Types of Chinese Tea — Green, Black, Oolong, Pu-erh: What Actually Tastes Different
Forget the charts. Here is what each family of tea actually tastes like in the cup, and which one to try first.
A 10-Minute Tea Ritual to Slow Down Your Evening
One pot, one cup, ten minutes, no phone. A small evening ritual that gives the day a clear ending.
Chinese Teaware for Beginners: What You Need, and What You Don't
You do not need a full tea set to start. You need three things. Everything else can wait.
Why Tea Is Served First: Hospitality in Chinese Tea Culture
In China, tea often arrives before words do. What that first cup is really saying.
How to Buy Loose-Leaf Tea Without Overpaying
Start small, know what to look for, and avoid paying for packaging instead of tea.
Gongfu vs Mug Brewing: Two Ways to Brew the Same Tea
One gives you many small, changing cups; the other gives you one easy, steady cup.
How to Store Tea So It Stays Fresh
Light, air, moisture, heat, and strong smells are the enemies. A sealed tin in a dark cupboard beats all of them.
The Six Kinds of Chinese Tea, in Plain Language
One plant, six very different cups. The difference is what happens to the leaves after picking.
Pu-erh, in Plain Language: Sheng vs Shou
Sheng ages slowly on its own; shou is fermented faster on purpose.
White Tea for Beginners: What It Is and How to Brew It
The least handled of all Chinese teas, withered and dried, nothing more.
Yellow Tea for Beginners: What It Is and How to Brew It
Yellow tea starts like green tea, then rests wrapped and warm until its grassy edge softens.
Tea and Food Pairing: Simple Pairings That Work
Tea pairs best when the food does not overpower it. A beginner's guide to matching green, white, oolong, black and dark tea with everyday food.
Where Chinese Tea Comes From: A Beginner's Map
Five regions beginners can actually use: Zhejiang for green, Fujian for white and oolong, Anhui and Hunan for yellow, and Yunnan for pu-erh.
How to Look After Teaware: A Beginner's Guide
Porcelain, glass, and clay teaware each need a slightly different kind of care. A short beginner guide to washing, drying, and storing them so they last.
How to Re-steep Tea Leaves: The Second Cup Is Part of the Tea
Good loose-leaf tea is not finished after one cup. How many infusions to expect, how the taste changes, and when to stop.
Green Tea for Beginners: Fresh, Light, and Easy to Get Right
Green tea is the freshest-tasting of the Chinese teas, and the easiest to spoil with water that is too hot. A beginner's guide to what it is, what it tastes like, and how to brew it well.
Oolong Tea for Beginners: The Tea That Sits Between Green and Black
Oolong is the most varied of the Chinese teas: light and floral at one end, dark and roasted at the other. A beginner's guide to what it is, what it tastes like, and how to brew it.
Black Tea for Beginners: The Warmest Cup in Chinese Tea
In China it is called red tea, for the colour in the cup. A beginner's guide to what black tea is, what it tastes like, and how to brew it.