It's All About Tea

In our previous blog post on Tie Guan Yin, we already discussed the brief history and processing method of this delicious oolong tea. Tie Guan Yin remains a worldwide favorite amongst tea enthusiasts. It’s in the top ten of best Chinese teas, top three best Taiwanese teas, and indeed in most if not all best oolong categories! Let’s take a more in-depth look into why this is so. (Read more)

Jin Hou Black Tea, otherwise known as Golden Monkey Black Tea, is a relatively old Chinese tea. In an era when only green teas were consumed, alongside the only black tea being Lapsang Souchong, Jin Hou came about to meet export desires. Black tea was already growing immense popularity in the west. While locals back in China didn't necessarily have a taste for the tea themselves, they experimented with farming techniques to produce some delicious black teas. (Read more)

Red Oolong is a deeply fermented and moderately roasted oolong tea. It was initially developed in Taiwan and perfected by the Wu family farm in Luye Valley of Taitung County, Taiwan. Nestled between two of Taiwan's highest mountain ranges, the valley's pristine nature and fresh air attract many for tea tourism and the annual hot air balloon festival. (Read more)

In Japan, gyokuro is synonymous with best tea. It is the tea that is reserved for special occasions or for serving guests. While sencha is enjoyed daily at home or in numerous Japanese eateries, gyokuro is undoubtedly more prized. One thing is true — while almost every single person in Japan has tried sencha (even if just from vending machines), gyokuro is more of a tea for enthusiasts or connoisseurs. (Read more)

There are two schools: one that says no to boiled water, and one that says that boiled water is totally fine. So some carefully watch (or listen) to our tea kettles, waiting for the perfect time to cut the flame off. It's true, every tea type has the ideal temperature that allows the tea leaves to open up to us in all their beauty. The perfect aroma, perfect taste – balanced brew. It is crucial to learn this.

However, during the Tang Dynasty (618 ~ 907), tea was brewed very differently from what we are used to today. People boiled tea! (Read more)