About Tao of Tea
What you will find
Tao of Tea introduces 52 teas, from Longjing to aged pu-erh. Find out where they come from, how they taste and how to brew them, with comparisons and practical guides in ten languages.
The catalogue covers tea names and styles, including differences in processing and ageing. These are not 52 distinct plant varieties: teas sold under the same name may come from different cultivars and vary from batch to batch.
Where to start
New to Chinese tea? Start with our guides to the six tea types and choosing your first tea. If you already have a tea at home, look up its profile and try the brewing recipe. Adjust the time or amount of leaf to suit your taste.
Treat each recipe as a starting point. The leaves, water, teaware and speed of your pour all affect the result. Taste each infusion and keep brewing while you enjoy it.
The elements and illustrations
Wood, fire, earth, metal and water — the five phases of wuxing — inspire the site’s colours and layout. We pair them with teas and animal illustrations to give each page its character. These pairings are our own artistic choices, rather than a traditional system for classifying tea.
The illustrations help you recognise and remember the teas. They say nothing about a tea’s ingredients or its effects on health.
Understanding the tasting notes
References to nuts, flowers or dried fruit describe what a tea may remind you of. They do not necessarily mean those ingredients have been added; check the packaging for the ingredients.
People respond differently to tea. Its name, age or smooth taste cannot tell you exactly how much caffeine it contains. Our health guides provide general information and do not replace personal medical advice.
Updates and text versions
We revise the articles as we check facts and improve the wording. If our advice differs from the instructions on your tea, check the product’s ingredients, label and storage requirements.
Each tea profile is also available as a Markdown file, with the same text as the web page.