Complete beginner's guide to Chinese tea — where to start
ChaiNomad··5,899 views·5 replies
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ChaiNomad
OP
I made this guide because I see the same questions here all the time. Bookmarking this might save you hours of confusion.
**The 6 categories of Chinese tea:**
1. Green (unoxidized): Dragon Well, Bi Luo Chun — fresh, vegetal, light caffeine
2. White (minimally processed): Silver Needle, White Peony — sweet, delicate
3. Yellow (rare): Jun Shan Yin Zhen — mellow, rare
4. Oolong (partial oxidation): TGY, Da Hong Pao — the widest flavor spectrum in tea
5. Black (fully oxidized): Dian Hong, Keemun — robust, malty
6. Pu-erh (fermented): Sheng/Shu — earthy, complex, ages like wine
**For absolute beginners, in recommended order:**
- Start: Shu pu-erh (approachable, safe to overbrew, great body)
- Then: Lightly oxidized oolong (TGY or a Taiwanese high mountain)
- Then: Quality green tea once you have a thermometer
- Then: Sheng pu-erh when you're ready for depth
5 :plural
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BrewMaster_K
Great guide. One thing I'd add: invest in a temperature-controlled kettle early. It's the single most impactful tool upgrade, especially once you move to green teas. A cheap gooseneck kettle with temperature control is ~$25 and eliminates most brewing mistakes.
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GreenLeafMaria
Good roadmap. For water quality: filtered water or spring water dramatically improves results. Tap water with chlorine kills flavor nuance. If you're wondering why your expensive tea tastes flat — check your water first.
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WhitePeony
Bookmarked and sharing this to everyone who messages me asking where to start. The progression order is exactly right — shu pu-erh is so forgiving and it eases you into the world without setting unrealistic expectations.
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TeaLover99
This guide is how I started 4 months ago. Followed the progression exactly. Now I'm on young sheng and buying my first gaiwan. The on-ramp couldn't have been better designed.
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PuerHead
On storage: pu-erh needs to breathe, store in a cardboard box or unbleached paper, not plastic. Green and white teas need airtight + away from light. Oolongs somewhere in between. A lot of people ruin expensive tea by storing it wrong.
