Brewing
20 articles
Tanyang Gongfu (Panyang Congou - 坦洋工夫)
The Tea That Taught Europe to Say “Congou” If you have read old British tea catalogues, you have met this tea under a …
Cold Brewing Chinese Tea (冷泡茶): The Method That Fixes Bitterness
The Easiest Brewing Method You’re Not Using Cold brewing (冷泡茶) is almost embarrassingly simple: put leaves in cold …
Yue Guang Bai (Moonlight White - 月光白)
The Odd One Out Every white tea on this site so far comes from Fujian: Silver Needle, White Peony, Gong Mei, Shou Mei. …
Cha Hai, Cups, and Strainers (公道杯): The Supporting Cast of a Gongfu Table
The Half of the Table Nobody Shops For Everyone agonizes over the first gaiwan and the first zisha pot. Almost nobody …
Mengding Ganlu (Sweet Dew - 蒙顶甘露)
Tea From The Mountain Where Tea Started Most famous Chinese greens come from the east — Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui. …
Reading the Leaf Bottom (叶底): What Spent Leaves Tell You
The Step Everyone Skips You finish the last infusion, and the leaves go in the compost. That’s a shame, because the wet …
Enshi Yulu (Jade Dew - 恩施玉露)
The One Chinese Green Tea That Is Steamed Almost every famous Chinese green tea is pan-fired: the fresh leaf hits a hot …
Water for Tea: Choosing What Fills Your Cup (泡茶用水)
The Mother of Tea There is an old Chinese saying: 水为茶之母 — “water is the mother of tea.” A cup is somewhere between 98% …
Gongfu vs. Western Brewing (工夫茶): Choosing the Right Method for Your Tea
Two Philosophies in One Cup Every tea you own can be brewed two fundamentally different ways. Western brewing uses a …
English Tea Culture: A Chinese Tea Lover's Guide to Afternoon Tea
Two Traditions, One Source: Exploring English Tea Culture Through Chinese Eyes For Chinese tea enthusiasts, English tea …
Alishan High Mountain Oolong (阿里山高山烏龍)
The Culture: The Icon of High Mountain Tea Alishan is the most famous and beloved of Taiwan’s Gao Shan (High Mountain) …
Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe - 大红袍)
The Myth and History: The Scholar’s Robe Da Hong Pao is perhaps the most legendary of all Chinese teas. Its history is …
Dong Ding Oolong (Frozen Summit - 冻顶乌龙)
The History: The Frozen Summit Dong Ding (literally “Frozen Summit”) is perhaps the most famous of all Taiwanese …
Gai Wan
1. A Journey Through Time: The History of the Gaiwan The name “Gaiwan” literally translates to “Lidded Bowl” (Gai …
Phoenix Dancong (Fenghuang Dancong - 凤凰单丛)
The History: The “Single Bush” Perfume Phoenix Dancong is a unique family of oolong teas from the Phoenix Mountains in …
Rougui (Cinnamon Rock Oolong - 肉桂)
The Culture: The “Aggressive” Fragrance Rougui (literally “Cinnamon”) is the “powerhouse” of the Wuyi Rock Tea (Yancha) …
Shuixian (Narcissus Rock Oolong - 水仙)
The Culture: The “Gentle Giant” of Wuyi Shuixian (literally “Narcissus” or “Water Sprite”) is one of the oldest and …
Tea Pot
1. A Brief History: From Boiling to Steeping The teapot as we know it today didn’t always exist. The Evolution: During …
Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy - 铁观音)
The Myth and History: The Devout Farmer Tieguanyin, a premium variety of Chinese oolong tea from Anxi County in Fujian …
Zi Sha
1. The Raw Material: “Five-Color Earth” (五色土) The soul of a Yixing pot is the clay itself. Mined from the Huanglong …