There’s a whole lot more to tea than what’s in the aisle at the grocery store. Whether you’re just getting started or a seasoned sipper, this page is designed to be a resource of knowledge. I hope that it will serve as a guide to tea for experts and beginners alike. Feel free to email or message me on social media if there’s something you’d like to know about, but don’t see here!
Tea Basics
All tea comes from an amazing evergreen plant called Camellia Sinensis. Did you know it is one of only a few species of plants that contains caffeine? How the leaves are processed determines the type that it becomes.
- Does All Tea Really Come from the Same Plant?
- How Many Types of Tea Are There?
- How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea
- Everything You Need to Know About Re-Steeping Tea
- How to Store Tea
- How Long Does Tea Stay Fresh?
- What I Look for When Buying Tea
- 10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Drinking Tea
- What Determines the Caffeine Content in Tea?
- Grandpa Style and Bowl Brewing – The Easiest Way to Make Tea
The Types of Tea
Are you curious about the different categories of tea? I don’t have a favorite one because they all have something different to offer. There is a wide range of tastes and flavors to explore within each of them.
How Tea is Made
Have you ever wondered how a leaf on a bush becomes the tea in your cup? These are some of the steps in the amazing journey that tea takes.
Varieties
Within each category of tea, there are hundreds of varieties. These posts will introduce you to some of my favorites.
- Anji Bai Cha
- Balhyocha
- Baozhong
- Bi Luo Chun
- Da Hong Pao
- Darjeeling
- Dian Hong
- Dong Fang Mei Ren
- Genmaicha
- Gyokuro
- Huang Shan Mao Feng
- Liu An
- Matcha
- Ruby #18
- Sencha
- Silver Needle
- Tie Guan Yin
- Tai Ping Hou Kui
- Tencha
- Ya Shi Xiang
- Yue Guang Bai
Origins
One of the joys of drinking tea is getting to know all the wonderful places it comes from.
- 4 Teas to Know (and Love) from Fujian Province
- Understanding the Different Types of Japanese Green Tea
- 7 Indian Tea Regions You Should Know
Green Tea
The taste of green tea can range from grassy and vegetal to nutty and sweet.
White Tea
The taste of white can be described as floral, fruity, and vegetal. Think cucumber, melon, meadow flowers, and snow pea. Notes of hay or grass might also pop up. White tea is very delicate and mild, particularly for those used to stronger tastes, so don’t give up if it doesn’t grab you right away.
Oolong
Oolong tea is partially oxidized and known for its intense floral aromas.
- The Many Faces of Oolong
- 5 Things You Should Know About Phoenix Oolongs
- 5 Things You Should Know About Wuyi Oolongs
Black Tea
Puerh Tea
Puerh tea is part of a larger family of fermented teas known as heicha.
- A Beginner’s Guide to Actually Enjoying Puerh
- Raw Puerh vs Cooked Puerh
- Why Do Puerh Cakes Weigh 357 Grams?
Tea History
Tea is one of the oldest and most widely consumed beverages. It is an integral part of world history that has both inspired wars and spread a message of peace.
- How Long Have People Been Drinking Tea?
- Who Really Invented the Tea Bag?
- The Real Lapsang Souchong and the Dangers of Mistranslation
- A Bowl of Peace – Lessons from the Life of SEN Genshitsu
- All About the Tea Importation Act of 1897
- The Surprising Tea History of America and Japan
- What Kind of Tea Was Thrown Overboard at the Boston Tea Party?
- How Tea Helped Women Win the Right to Vote
- Sen no Rikyu
Teaware
- An Introduction to Hagi
- An Introduction to the Kyusu
- What to Look for When Shopping for a Clay Teapot
- How to Use and Take Care of a Cast Iron Teapot
- How to Care for Your Matcha Whisk
- What are Tea Pets?
Health
Tea is certainly a healthy beverage but it is important to keep a level head and do your research. Be wary of snake oil salesman tactics that promise unbelievable health benefits. The healthiest tea is the one you enjoy because you’ll want to drink it!
- Health Benefits…Shmealth Benefits
- The Trouble with Dr. Oz and Why He is Bad for Tea
- The Truth about Instagram Diet Teas
- How Does Tea Affect the Brain?
Iced Tea
Tea doesn’t always have to be hot! Iced tea is a great way to change things up, especially on a hot summer day.
Take It to the Next Level
If you’re brewing loose-leaf tea on the regular but you’d like to dig in more, these posts are for you. Tea can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.
- What Determines the Caffeine Content in Tea?
- Is It Possible to Decaffeinate Tea?
- How to Learn More About Tea
- SFTGFOP? What the Letters On Your Tea Packaging Mean
- 5 Practical and Inexpensive Ways to Up Your Tea Game
- How to Season Your Yixing
- What is Gongfu Tea?
- What is Terroir?
- How to Train Your Palate for Tea
- How to Taste Tea Like a Pro
- The Great Tea Debate: Oxidation vs Fermentation
- 3 Teas That Sound Like They Wouldn’t Taste Good (But They Totally Do)
- What do the Bubbles in Tea Mean?
- 5 Things About Tea Everyone Thinks Are True
- Should You Rinse Tea Leaves?
- Why You Might Want to Weigh Your Tea Leaves
- Decoding Tea Tasting Notes: What Do They Really Mean?
Vocabulary
The world of tea has a lexicon all its own. These posts will help to decode the jargon that you might see being used by tea companies.
- Cha Hai
- 6 Chinese Tea Color Terms You Should Know
- Heicha
- Hui Gan
- Gushu
- Kuradashi
- Mao Cha
- Pre-Qingming
- Tea Drunk
- Yancha
- Zairai
Troubleshooting
Sometimes things go wrong and that is OK! Experience is how we learn, especially when it comes to tea. These posts might help if you’re having a hard time.
I hope that you’ve found this beginner’s guide to tea useful. Is there something you’d like to know more about but don’t see here? Email me at [email protected]!
Help Support This Site
Support my work in tea by joining my Patreon community. For $2-$5 a month you’ll receive access to exclusive behind-the-scenes content, my private Discord server, surprise quarterly packages, and more!