It's All About Tea

Yabao. Depending on who you ask, Yabao tea can be categorized as raw pu-erh, white tea, white raw pu-erh, pu-erh buds, or even as a tisane! These are just some of the many categories this elusive Chinese tea falls into. So what is Yabao? Actually, it's quite tricky to define and confine it to a particular tea category. What we do know is that it's incredibly delicious. So let's try to take a closer look at what makes it so. (Read more)

Tea is deeply embedded in Taiwan’s culture. Children often start drinking tea at a young age and can distinguish between various Taiwanese tea varieties. Although nowadays, bubble tea shops are taking the way to a more slow habit of drinking tea – Gong Fu Cha.

Nevertheless, most bubble tea shops still serve decent-quality tea stocked from one of the island’s numerous tea farms. If you are at a bubble tea shop and want to experience the quality of the tea, simply order it without milk, toppings, or sugar, and you will see just how good it is, even on its own.

Taiwan is a mountainous island with high altitudes and ample rainfall. Perfect for growing high-quality tea! Tea grows everywhere on the island. You are bound to stumble upon a tea farm growing regional varieties from the north to the south. Indeed, each part of the country is known for its own distinct tea variety and takes pride in its farms and growing techniques. Let’s go over some of Taiwan’s most famous teas! (Read more)

In the past, we have written about a very popular Japanese concept, mottainai. Literally translated as “what a waste!” it is actually more of a philosophy of life. Following the philosophy of mottainai, we make sure that everything gets used to the fullest. Nothing gets wasted. Perhaps this is where Japanese green tea over rice comes in, otherwise known as Ochazuke. (Read more)

Silver Needle White Tea, or Bai Hao Yin Zhen, is one of the most popular types of White Tea! It has a unique appearance — fuzzy white tea tips, soft like bunny ears. The taste is elegant and alluring. One who has tried a quality Silver Needle will likely continue the quest of enjoying only the finest Bai Hao Yin Zhen there is. Read this article to find out what makes it so unique and how to choose only the best Silver Needle Tea! (Read more)