Tea Spotlight – Dian Hong
Dian Hong (滇红), also known as Yunnan Red, may just be my favorite tea. Grown in Yunnan province, this tea is fermented with lychee, rose and longan (a sweet fruit native to Southeast Asia). What results is a tea that is remarkably beautiful both in sight and color. The unique fermentation process results in its [...]
Making Holiday Shopping Easy With Tea Gift Sets!
With the holiday season fast approaching, you may be looking for thoughtful gifts for the tea drinker in your life. Luckily, most of the big tea companies are well ahead of you, and have put together a wide range of tea boxes and gift sets which work well as gifts. Here are a few reasonably [...]
Chinese Tea Egg: Information and Recipe
Walk around many Chinese cities in the morning and you’re sure to see a crockpot or kettle full of brown liquid and discolored, slightly cracked eggs. Completely unfamiliar to the western palette, the tea egg is a surprisingly delicious savory treat prized by millions, mostly in northern China. They are also quite popular in Hong [...]
So You Like…Earl Grey
A black tea blend flavored with oil derived from the rind of the Bergamot orange, Earl Grey is a sweeter, more citrusy variation on the traditionally bitter British black tea. This makes it a prime candidate for replacement by a number of Chinese teas, which are traditionally noted for their sweetness and delicacy. Check out [...]
So You Like…Lipton (Or Other Generic Black Teas)
Quite possibly the most prevalent tea distributor in America, Lipton’s yellow label teabags are synonymous with a low-quality, somewhat weak brew. Utilizing up to 20 different teas in their blend, sourced from all around the world, Lipton tea is a mish-mash of flavors which average out to something quite forgettable, lacking any truly definable characteristics. [...]
So You Like…English Breakfast
This is the first in a series of posts which should hopefully take some of the guesswork out of trying new teas. Basically, we’re just going to run down some of the most popular blends, brands and types of tea that are seen in America, and give a recommendation for a good Chinese tea which [...]
Chinese Tea Water Temperature
Quite possibly the most important thing to keep in mind when trying to brew the perfect cup of tea is water temperature. The appropriate temperature varies widely between different varieties, ranging from merely warm to boiling. This article will run down the appropriate water temperature for different Chinese tea varieties, and will give you tips [...]
Chinese Tea Health Benefits
While traditional Chinese medicine has long held that tea has many health benefits, modern research has begun to prove that many Chinese teas can be highly effective for boosting your immune system, aiding digestion and helping weight loss, among other benefits. While information on tea health benefits has previously been scattered and unreliable, this article [...]