Chinese Tea Brewing Guides
Start with the tea family, then adjust temperature, leaf ratio, and time to suit the individual tea.
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How to Brew Black Tea
Black tea (called 'red tea' in Chinese for its reddish liquor) is fully oxidized, resulting in bold, robust flavors with notes of malt, honey, cocoa, and dried fruit. Chinese black teas are generally more nuanced than their Indian counterparts, with famous varieties including Keemun, Dianhong (Yunnan Gold), and Lapsang Souchong. Black tea was developed in the 17th century in Fujian's Wuyi Mountains.
How to Brew Dark Tea
Dark tea (黑茶/heicha) undergoes post-fermentation through microbial activity, developing earthy, smooth, and complex flavors. Unlike pu'er which has its own category, heicha includes regional specialties like Liu Bao from Guangxi with its distinctive betel nut aroma, Fu Zhuan from Hunan with its golden flower fungus (金花), and other brick and compressed teas from Sichuan, Hubei, and Shaanxi. These teas are prized for their digestive benefits and improve with age.
How to Brew Green Tea
Green tea is minimally oxidized, preserving the fresh, vegetal character of the tea leaves. The leaves are quickly heated after picking to halt oxidation, resulting in a light, refreshing flavor profile with notes ranging from grassy and marine to nutty and sweet. Green tea is the most produced tea in China, with famous varieties including Longjing (Dragon Well), Biluochun, and Huangshan Maofeng.
How to Brew Oolong Tea
Oolong tea spans a wide oxidation range from 15% to 85%, creating remarkable diversity from light, floral teas to dark, roasted varieties. The leaves are bruised to initiate oxidation, then heated to halt it at the desired level. Famous oolongs include Tie Guan Yin, Da Hong Pao, Dancong, and Taiwanese high mountain oolongs. Oolong is prized for its complex flavors and excellent re-steeping potential.
How to Brew Pu'er Tea
Pu'er is a unique tea tradition from Yunnan province made exclusively from large-leaf tea cultivars (大叶种). Sheng (raw) pu'er is sun-dried and can be enjoyed young for its vibrant, complex character or aged for decades to develop deeper, smoother notes. Shou (ripe) pu'er undergoes accelerated pile fermentation (wodui) to create immediate earthy, smooth flavors. Both styles are often compressed into cakes, bricks, or other shapes. Pu'er stands apart from other teas due to its unique terroir, cultivar requirements, and aging tradition.
How to Brew Scented Tea
Scented teas are created by layering tea leaves with fresh flowers, allowing the tea to absorb the floral aroma naturally. Jasmine tea is the most famous, traditionally using green tea as a base, though white and oolong bases are also used. Other scented teas include osmanthus, rose, and chrysanthemum varieties. High-quality jasmine tea may be scented seven or more times to achieve intense fragrance.
How to Brew White Tea
White tea undergoes minimal processing with no rolling or shaping, allowing the leaves to wither and dry naturally. This gentle approach preserves the tea's delicate, subtle flavors with notes of honey, melon, and hay. The most famous white teas come from Fujian province, including Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle) and Bai Mudan (White Peony). White tea is known for its high antioxidant content and aging potential.
How to Brew Yellow Tea
Yellow tea is the rarest of the six main tea categories, produced through a unique 'sealed yellowing' process that gives it a mellower, less grassy flavor than green tea. The leaves undergo a slow oxidation under damp cloth or paper, developing a distinctive yellow hue and smooth, sweet character. Famous yellow teas include Junshan Yinzhen and Huoshan Huangya. Production is limited due to the labor-intensive process.