It's All About Tea — chinese tea

Today, Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea, also known as the Iron Goddess of Mercy or the Iron Bodhisattva of Mercy, is among the top ten teas of China. It is prevalent in both Taiwan and China, although the processing methods vary quite significantly.

For sure, when entering a tea shop in these countries, you are bound to see Tie Guan Yin on the menu. Even in the West, many cafes list Iron Goddess as one of their tea options. Production styles vary heavily. While in Taiwan, Tie Guan Yin is known for its dark, heavily roasted taste, in China, Anxi Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea producers tend to stick to a light, floral roast. (Read more)

One of the things that makes Wuyi Rock Tea different from other oolongs is the roasting process it undergoes. This process is not only one step, but a few distinguished steps.

When yancha is only in the first stages of processing, it's still quite vegetal and floral, much like a green tea. Only at the end of the processing will it gain its characteristic taste that we all love. (Read more)

In China and parts of Southeast Asia, Pu-erh tea has been consumed for centuries. It was a significant export product on the Tea-Horse Road, but even in its homeland of Yunnan, people did not dismiss the amazing benefits of Pu-erh tea.

While in Tibet, this tea was popular with monks for its amazing energizing qualities, in China, people would always drink it after a meal, especially an oily one, to aid with digestion. (Read more)

Liu Bao is a tea of history. It is one of the oldest styles of tea preparation that is still preserved and drank to this day. It is believed that the processing methods of Liu Bao served as the base for modern-day Ripe Pu erh preparation. In fact, the two teas go through very similar processing partially because they are both part of the Hei Cha tea category. (Read more)

Have you ever wondered what time of year your favorite teas are harvested?
Since tea bushes aren’t grown in greenhouses but are naturally grown in tea farms outside or sometimes even wildly, timing the harvest is of utter importance. With certain teas a crop can only be limited to a few days out of the whole year — if missed, the farmers would have to wait for the next season to produce this type of tea. (Read more)