Wuxing (五行, wǔxíng)
Wuxing (五行) is a traditional Chinese system of five interrelated categories: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. This site uses their imagery to organise its tea catalogue.
They are also called the Five Phases: a model of change and relationships, rather than chemical elements. It includes cycles of generation and restraint; for example, wood generates fire, while water restrains fire. This belongs to the history of Chinese thought, not to measurable properties of an infusion.
The pairings on Tao of Tea are our own artistic choices. Wood accompanies green teas; fire, oolongs and black teas; earth, yellow and some black teas; metal, white teas; and water, dark teas and pu-erh. These images help you browse the catalogue. They are not a traditional system for classifying tea.
To choose a tea, look at its type, origin, processing and brewing advice. The element assigned to a page is part of its design; it does not indicate caffeine content, brewing temperature or health effects.
Related teas
Chinese tea glossary