[UNDER CONSTRUCTION] Before coming to china I drank tea as my caffeinated beverage of choice. So naturally upon getting here, I’ve made a point to become a local at the local tea store. Here’s what I’ve learned:

I’ll split this up into three parts: What tea is, what tea is to the Chinese, and my experiences with tea in China. At the end I’ll make a section about how to ‘get into’ tea if you’re interested.

What tea is

“Tea” (茶) is a beverage made from the combination of hot water and Camellia sinensis (茶花). So while Chamomile Tea may be delicious it technically is not “tea” but is an “herbal infusion.” However for the purposes of this post tea will refer to any kind of water-plant infusion.

This beverage according to chinese myth was discovered by mythical Emperor Shennong, the Farmer God, as leaves from a nearby plant fell into his boiled water he was about to drink, and he declared it medicinal and a bit tasty. Later on around 760AD, Lu Yu wrote the Classic of Tea (茶经) which describes tea, its origins, and how to make it. Note that this is about tea cakes vs. loose leaf tea we see today. There’s some great advice, such as that mountain water is the best for tea (煮茶的水，用山水最好) or the different Tang Dynasty words to refer to boiling water (第一沸，第二沸，第三沸). After a while this became less about medicinal qualities and more about the taste, aesthetics, and company.

Varieties of Teas

I’d recommend looking at Mary Heiss’ “The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook” (ISBN 9781580088046) which is a good start on the classifications of tea and the varieties. Otherwise wikipedia’s List of Chinese Teas is comprehensive. If you’re overwhelmed, the “China’s 10 Famous Teas” (中国十大名茶) distinction is a subjective but generally correct list of the 10 most popular tea varieties in china.

The Chinese People and Tea

Tea has many roles and functions in Chinese life. My key theory lies in the fact that the Chinese consume hot/water water as their primary source of liquid because boiled water is traditionally free of disease. Think about it from the perspective of two families a couple hundred years ago: One family drinks boiled water and another drinks straight from the well. A Cholera outbreak makes the latter sick but leaves the former safe. Wouldn’t you do the same after seeing this result? Beyond this, there is also the thought that hot water aids digestion since it is at a similar temperature as your stomach and innards.

Given there’s always hot water on hand in hot water electric kettles, large thermoses, hot water machines in school or public buildings, etc. it’s the easiest caffeinated beverage to make. Why drink plain hot water when you could drink something that tastes better and wakes you up? Besides the more cosmopolitan Chinese, there’s no preference for coffee. Tea is cheap, or more expensive varieties can be given as gifts. Leaves last all day as hot water is added. So you’ll see (usually older) Chinese with these glass bottles filled with tea leaves everywhere from construction sites to classrooms. You’ll find spent tea leaves thrown from glass bottles onto the street stuck to your shoe. It’s really everywhere, especially when you live on older streets.

-Take picture of spent tea leaves or construction worker with tea-

The feeling of tea is similar to American’s love of coffee. The sociality remains the same, as the image of meeting with a friend over tea or coffee contains the same connotation. Drinking so much coffee that you get anxious has an analogue in tea, “tea drunk” (茶醉). There is a strong artistic component to creating both tea and coffee, but I’d say that aesthetics and ritual are more prevalent in making tea.

Gong Fu Tea

Beyond the world of having tea in cups or thermoses for indefinite periods of time, Gong Fu Tea (工夫茶) is a method or ritual to carefully make tea so it will be reproducibly tasty. As Daniel Lui put it, “The modern Gong Fu style of tea-making is essentially about controlling all the variables of tea-making with a high degree of precision and consistency.” Read that link for a great overview.

I’ve seen shopkeepers in Shenzhen performing this ceremony as them and their family enjoyed tea together, and it’s a staple in any teashop.

-Insert picture of gongfu tea setup-

Milk Tea

Milk Tea is comparable to Latte drinks you will find at Starbucks – Full of sugar, lots of themed varieties, and sometimes with a Latte Art-esque decoration.

The most popular brand is 一点点 which is considered the Starbucks of milk tea. It’s very quick, tea is completely sealed in plastic cups until punctured by a straw for convenient transport, and you can easily choose from a variety of variables to customize your tea. However any self-respecting trendy young urban girl will have a different favorite tea place that’s a little more stylish like Utepia, Answer Tea, or a local non-chain store.

-Insert picture of menu of yidiandian and local ‘‘‘stylish’’’ tea-

Me and Tea

In America, I began by buying a random type of green leaf tea from an asian market (which I found out to be Long Jing) and putting it in a thermos everyday before I went to school. During the school and work day I would add hot, boiling water to the thermos as I drank it. I would sometimes switch it up and try some red tea. But the green tea always tasted a bit bitter, but it was manageable.

When I got to China I did the same – Long Jing Tea from the supermarket and thermos with boiling hot water. But after research, I found that Long Jing tea is one of the most delicate teas and should have the least amount of temperature of nearly any tea – 70C vs. my normal 100C! At this point I did more research online, and talked to the chinese – tea shop owners, friends, and even a few random people I saw drinking tea on the street. I eventually found a corner teashop that had decent prices and a friendly shopkeeper.

-Insert picture of teashop and friendly shopkeeper :)-

So me and some friends go to the teashop ever so often and get some new teas to try. I’ve tried a variety of categories and prices, and found my favorite to be either plain old Tie Guan Yin or Anji Baicha. Although I’ve never stepped into the world of Yixing teapots or doing my own Gongfu tea, but I’m happy with my daily cup or four of tea.

I want to get into tea!

Here’s my recommended steps. I’m in the belief that you should start as cheap and simple as possible so you understand the basics, then buy things as you need them. The first time making tea you will not appreciate the differences in teas or water temperature, but with experimentation you will.

• Understanding tea: Learn about the different kinds of tea (Green, Oolong, Black/Red, Pu’Er, etc).
• Buying tea: Go to your local asian store and look for the loose leaf tea with the most amount of chinese compared to english on the label. Buy a container or two. Learn what kind of tea it is by handwriting the characters into the pleco app. Try to find something with whole leaves. Once you’ve tried some of these check out Yunan Sourcing and try some of the “Chinese 10 Famous Teas.”
• Buying implements: Two glass containers/jars/cups, some kind of strainer, and a way to make hot water. Put some tea leaves into a container, put some just-boiled water in with the leaves, leave for a while (3-5 minutes), and pour the tea into the other container through the strainer. Keep the leaves in the other container and brew again.

Now that you’ve done this, think about the different factors in the tea process. All effect flavor, scent, and appearance. As you taste, smell, and look at the tea think about the following things that may have impacted the tea. Maybe even write them down in a cute little “tea diary!”

• What category of tea, what variety was it, where is it from, and how old is it?
• How was the tea stored? If in the sunlight or in an unsealed container, it might taste stale. If stored in too cold of an environment (eg the average refrigerator), it may be wet and moldy!
• How hot was the water? If the water temperature didn’t match the tea type, it may be bitter or not release the full flavor.
• How long was the tea brewed? If too long, it will be bitter.
• Which infusion was it? After infusing the leaves a couple of times, it may develop a muted or different flavor. Appreciate and understand this change!
• How do I feel after the tea? Did it make me happy, calm, nervous, or nauseous?

After you consider these things and brew tea again, you will slowly create a mental framework of how tea works. Of course you should look online at other resources, such as some of Daniel Lui’s fantastic guides like “How to Make Tea” or “How to Buy/Store Tea”. Things worth buying would be a hot water maker that indicates temperature, a nice large glass teapot with strainer inside it (and teacups), and a double-walled glass tea thermos with a built-in strainer. Remember that there’s no wrong way to make tea if you think it tastes good, despite what others think.

Personal tips and observations:

• Green/Yellow/White require a lower temperature (70-80C), so after boiling water let it sit uncovered for 3-5 minutes. Test with a thermometer if you have one.
• If you want to have a thermos with tea leaves, and continuously refill it with hot water over a day, the best tea in my opinion is Oolong – specifically Tie Guan Yin. This is because the leaves are thick, but not bitter unlike most red teas after many brews in a closed container. But any tea, even green, can be done like this if you don’t mind a bit of a bitter taste.
• It’s usually best to rinse off the tea once before brewing it for the first time to remove any particles. This isn’t necessary but if you have the time it’s worthwhile.