Tea Encyclopedia
Start with short introductions to the six tea categories, then follow the reviews to see how individual teas behave in the cup. Raw and ripe Pu’er have their own reading paths.
Tea Knowledge & Culture
There is more to tea than what is in the cup. Explore the customs, history and everyday questions that come up as we drink, buy and learn about tea.
- Two Taps for Thank You — A Small Gesture at the Tea Table
A quiet thank-you, a story about an emperor in disguise, and a small custom that keeps the conversation flowing. - Is Old Tea Really an Investment?
Thoughts on price, provenance, storage and buying tea we are happy to drink. - Cooling, Warming, or Somewhere in Between? How Chinese Tea Changes with Age
A look at processing, age and storage through the traditional Chinese framework of tea character.
Start with the Six Categories and More
Green Tea · White Tea · Yellow Tea · Oolong Tea · Red Tea/Hong Cha · Dark Tea/Hei Cha · Raw Pu’er · Ripe Pu’er
Green Tea
绿茶 · Lü cha
Early heating limits oxidation. Start by noticing freshness, vegetal notes and the effects of processing on aroma and texture.
White Tea
白茶 · Bai cha
Withering and drying shape this family of bud and leaf styles. Follow the Fuding series from Silver Needle through Bai Mu Dan, Gong Mei and Shou Mei.
Yellow Tea
黄茶 · Huang cha
A controlled yellowing stage follows fixing. Compare its softened vegetal character with green tea.
Oolong Tea
乌龙茶 · Wulong cha
Bruising and controlled partial oxidation shape a diverse family. World Tea begins with Wuyi Rock Tea, Dan Cong and Tie Guan Yin.
Red Tea/Hong Cha
红茶 · Hong cha
The largely oxidised tea family commonly called black tea in English. Here, Hong cha distinguishes it from Hei Cha.
Dark Tea/Hei Cha
黑茶 · Hei cha
Microbial fermentation is central to dark-tea production. This family extends beyond Pu’er; World Tea keeps separate Pu’er reading paths below.
Raw Pu’er
生普洱 · Sheng Pu’er
Explore the recipe benchmarks first, then compare regions, material and storage through the individual sessions.
Ripe Pu’er
熟普洱 · Shou Pu’er
Pile fermentation gives ripe Pu’er a different production path. Compare its texture, fermentation character and storage through the review archive.
Processing background: Tony Gebely’s explanation of tea classification. These introductions are starting points; origin, cultivar and processing create variation within each family.
Focused Reading Paths
Wuyi Rock Tea · Dan Cong · Tie Guan Yin · Raw Pu’er Recipes · Raw Pu’er Terroir
Beyond the Tea Leaf
Chrysanthemum and chenpi and other infusions have their own place in the journal.