My friend Laura, a devoted wine enthusiast, needed some serious convincing to venture to a modest tea shop nestled in a Queens strip mall. It was there, an hour and a half from her home, that we embarked on a three-hour tea tasting adventure, exploring varieties from across China and Taiwan.
“I want you to truly understand the incredible teas I’ve been raving about,” I insisted. Being the good sport she is, and perhaps swayed by the promise of dumplings beforehand, she agreed.
And so, we found ourselves perched on small stools under bright fluorescent lights, as the tea seller prepared a selection of five distinct teas for us. Laura’s initial reaction to the first tea was lukewarm, mirroring the polite but unenthusiastic “oh that’s…interesting” I’d heard countless times from tea novices. But then came the high mountain oolong.
She took a sip, and her eyes widened in surprise. Almost shouting, she exclaimed, “How can this taste like Riesling? Is that peach skin? Black walnut?”
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In that moment, I knew she was beginning her Tea Learning journey. She was experiencing firsthand what tea aficionados have long understood: the descriptive language we use for wine, spirits, and coffee – tannins, fruit undertones, terroir – is equally, and wonderfully, applicable to tea. In that black walnut-peach skin revelation, she grasped that tea is far more than just a comforting hot beverage for a cold day; it’s a drink worthy of genuine attention and exploration.
Every year, I find myself wondering when tea will finally receive the recognition it deserves. Delicious, ubiquitous, nourishing, subtly invigorating, and steeped in history and tradition – not to mention the array of beautiful accessories to collect – tea possesses all the qualities of a truly captivating obsession. Perhaps the challenge lies in creating a “trend piece” about something that is already the most consumed beverage globally after water.
Or maybe tea struggles to shed its somewhat outdated Western image – a drink associated with grandmothers and rainy afternoons. Coffee gets the sophisticated siphon pot; tea gets relegated to a knitted cozy.
It’s time to challenge these perceptions and elevate tea’s status. If your tea experience is limited to the forgotten English Breakfast tea bags at the back of your pantry, I encourage you to delve deeper. Let’s embark on a tea learning journey together and discover why tea is so deserving of our respect and profound appreciation.
What is Tea Learning? Unveiling the World of Tea
Camellia Sinensis: The Foundation of Tea Learning vs. Herbal Infusions
At the heart of tea learning is understanding the source of true tea: Camellia sinensis. This unassuming, shrubby plant is the origin of all genuine teas – whether they are black, green, white, oolong, or pu-erh. The incredible diversity within these tea types arises from different processing methods and varieties of this single plant species, offering a vast landscape for tea learning and exploration.
Herbal teas, often made from herbs, flowers, and fruits like mint, chamomile, or rooibos, are technically not “tea” in the Camellia sinensis sense. The term tisane, derived from Greek meaning “not tea,” aptly describes these infusions. While herbal teas certainly have their own merits and health benefits, in the context of tea learning, we focus primarily on the fascinating world of Camellia sinensis and its myriad expressions.
Flavorful Tea vs. Flavored Tea: A Key Distinction in Tea Learning
A crucial step in tea learning is discerning between naturally flavorful teas and artificially flavored teas. While flavored teas like Earl Grey or chai blends have their place and appeal to many, starting your tea education with them can be misleading.
Consider this analogy: would you begin your wine journey with fruit-flavored wine coolers, or your coffee exploration with heavily sweetened syrups? Opting for flavored teas as your default can suggest that unflavored tea lacks flavor, which is far from the truth. In fact, high-quality, unflavored teas offer an astonishing spectrum of natural flavors, complexities, and nuances that are waiting to be discovered through tea learning.
Especially within East Asian tea traditions, teas are meticulously crafted to be enjoyed on their own, without milk, sugar, or added flavors. The global supply of exceptional, naturally flavorful tea is relatively limited. Those extraordinary teas, the equivalent of a prized bottle of wine, are rarely, if ever, flavored. Flavoring is often used to mask imperfections or add appeal to lower-grade teas. True tea learning lies in appreciating the inherent flavors that Camellia sinensis offers in its purest forms.
Beyond the Tea Bag: Elevating Your Tea Learning Experience
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If your perception of tea is that of a bland, astringent, brownish liquid, the likely culprit is the common tea bag. Tea bags, while convenient, often contain tea dust and fannings – the smallest grades of tea leaves.
Smaller tea particles brew rapidly, which is convenient, but this quick extraction often leads to a brew that is harsh, unbalanced, and lacks the depth and complexity of tea made from larger leaves. In tea production, leaves are graded by size. For instance, in black teas destined for British-style blends, “Broken Orange Pekoe” is smaller than “Orange Pekoe,” and “Fannings” and “Dust” are the smallest, commonly found in tea bags.
Tea bags prioritize speed and convenience, brewing quickly and requiring minimal equipment. However, this comes at a cost to flavor and quality. The fine tea dust in tea bags tends to over-steep easily, becoming bitter. Moreover, the tea selected for tea bags is often not of the highest quality to begin with. For a robust black tea with milk, a tea bag might suffice. But for true tea learning and flavor exploration, venturing beyond tea bags is essential.
“Loose leaf” tea bags, often pyramid-shaped and marketed as premium, have emerged as a higher-priced alternative. Manufacturers claim the larger leaves and bag shape improve water circulation and flavor extraction. However, these claims are often overstated, and the quality within these bags can be inconsistent, sometimes even inferior to genuine loose leaf tea, especially considering the price premium.
The most rewarding path in tea learning is to embrace loose leaf tea. While not all loose leaf tea is exceptional, the world’s finest teas are exclusively available in loose leaf form. Surprisingly, many loose leaf teas are more cost-effective per ounce than tea bags, making it both a quality and value upgrade for your tea learning journey.
The Art of Tea Making: A Core Element of Tea Learning
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Understanding how tea is made is fundamental to deeper tea learning. While tea production is a complex and varied process, some core principles apply across tea types.
Like wine and coffee, tea’s terroir – its growing environment, including soil, climate, and altitude – significantly impacts its flavor. The nuances of terroir can be incredibly specific; even tea plants grown on different sides of the same hill can exhibit distinct flavor profiles due to variations in sunlight or rainfall.
When you examine a tea plant, you’ll notice darker, mature leaves and lighter green, younger shoots at the top. Only these tender young shoots are harvested for tea production. The older, darker leaves are not used.
These young shoots are typically hand-picked and transported to a processing facility, which can range from a simple barn on a small plantation to a larger factory.
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Oxidation begins the moment a tea leaf is plucked. This enzymatic process is crucial in shaping tea’s flavor, often even more so than terroir. Tea producers meticulously control oxidation, halting it at specific points through heating.
Green and white teas are minimally oxidized to preserve their fresh, delicate character and reflect their terroir. They are heated soon after harvesting, typically by steaming (as in Japanese green teas) or pan-firing (as in Chinese green teas like Dragon Well, pictured above being hand-roasted in a wok).
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Oolong and black teas undergo partial and full oxidation, respectively. Leaves are often “withered” – spread out to oxidize and slightly dry. They may then be rolled, bruised, or torn to further promote oxidation before being heated to stop the process at the desired level. The method and duration of heating also contribute significantly to the final tea flavor. Post-heating, teas may undergo further processes like flavoring, aging, or fermentation.
Exceptional tea producers are deeply involved in every stage – from selecting tea cultivars and carefully managing the land and harvest timing, to meticulously controlling drying and firing techniques, and even post-processing treatments. While technology has advanced tea production, expert knowledge and artisanal skill remain at its core. Discovering a tea farmer who is truly passionate and dedicated is a treasure in your tea learning journey.
Brewing Loose Leaf Tea: Practical Tea Learning
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Brewing loose leaf tea can seem daunting with countless methods and specialized tools available – from simple tea balls to elaborate infusers. However, effective tea learning begins with simple techniques.
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Across China, a common brewing method requires only a cup or glass. Simply place a pinch of loose tea leaves in your glass, add hot water, steep for a minute, and sip, using your lips to gently filter the leaves. Add more water for subsequent steepings, repeating as desired. This fuss-free approach eliminates the need for precise water temperatures or steeping times, making tea learning accessible and enjoyable.
Exploring the Gaiwan: An Essential Tool for Tea Learning
For a slightly more refined yet still simple method, the gaiwan – a Chinese brewing vessel – is highly recommended. Affordable and versatile, a gaiwan becomes an extension of your senses in your tea learning journey. Excellent gaiwans are available from Red Blossom and In Pursuit of Tea.
A gaiwan consists of a saucer, a small bowl (3-5 oz), and a lid. To use, pre-warm the gaiwan with hot water, then place tea leaves in the bowl – about a teaspoon for dense leaves, more for larger, less compact leaves. Pour in hot water, and use the lid as a strainer to pour the brewed tea into a separate cup.
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Steeping times with a gaiwan are short, around 20 seconds initially due to the high leaf-to-water ratio. Mastering the lid-straining technique takes practice, but the gaiwan is remarkably simple, elegant, and versatile. It eliminates filters, complex parts, and is far easier than espresso preparation.
The gaiwan method encourages focused tasting and appreciation, rather than casual sipping from a large mug. It also facilitates multiple infusions. Unlike tea bags, quality loose leaf tea is meant to be steeped multiple times, each infusion revealing different facets of the tea’s flavor profile, offering a comprehensive tea learning experience. Some robust oolongs can yield flavorful brews even on the ninth infusion.
Using a gaiwan simplifies brewing variables. With consistent serving size, tea quantity, and relatively consistent steeping times (increasing slightly with each re-steeping), you can focus on water quality and temperature – key elements in refining your tea learning.
The Importance of Water: Refining Your Tea Learning
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Some tea purists insist on filtered water for optimal tea brewing, especially for fine teas. While specialized filtration systems can enhance tea flavor, standard consumer filters like Brita may not be essential, depending on your tap water quality. In areas with good tap water, like New York City, the difference between tap and filtered water may be negligible. A simple guideline: if your tap water isn’t palatable on its own, avoid using it for tea.
Bottled spring water is another option, with certain brands having mineral compositions that complement tea’s compounds. Eternal bottled water is a personal favorite, capable of unlocking hidden flavors in teas. Experimenting with different water sources is a valuable exercise in tea learning, revealing how water quality impacts taste.
Water temperature is another debated aspect. Conventional wisdom suggests boiling water for black teas for maximum extraction, but lower temperatures for green, white, and some oolongs to prevent bitterness. Some retailers provide specific temperature recommendations for each tea.
While precise temperature control can be beneficial, it’s not always essential. Many tea experts use boiling water for most teas, adjusting steeping time for delicate teas to prevent over-extraction. Experimenting with water temperatures is part of the tea learning process, but there’s no single “right” way.
Tea Tasting: Engaging Your Senses in Tea Learning
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To truly advance your tea learning, dedicate time to mindful tasting. Like wine tasting, tea appreciation involves engaging your senses.
Before sipping, inhale the tea’s aroma. Take a small sip and let it linger in your mouth. Assess its body – is it light or full? Identify flavor notes – fruity, woodsy, earthy, leafy, acidic? Consider its texture – creamy or tannic? Some teas evoke sensory experiences beyond taste, like the clean, airy quality of a high mountain oolong, or the fresh, green snap of a spring-harvested Dragon Well.
After swallowing, exhale slowly and notice the finish – the lingering sensations in your mouth and throat, and the aftertaste. For some teas, aroma and finish are as important as the initial flavor.
Re-steep the tea and taste again. Adjust steeping time as needed – shorter for overly strong tea, longer for under-extracted tea. Rolled oolongs often reveal more complexity in subsequent infusions. Each steeping will evolve the tea’s flavor profile, showcasing its depth and range. Most teas can be steeped 3-5 times, with each infusion offering a unique experience.
Developing your tea palate takes time and practice, just like with coffee or wine. But with continued tasting, you’ll begin to discern subtle nuances, distinguishing creamy green teas with buttery biscuit notes from crisp, grassy green teas. Tea learning is a journey of patience and sensory exploration. When you discover a tea you truly love, you’ll know it.
Any tea can be appreciated through this mindful brewing and tasting approach. However, to truly immerse yourself in tea learning, explore teas from Asia, tea’s birthplace. Research different tea styles and consult recommended tea vendors to begin your personal tea learning adventure.
Further Tea Learning Resources
Beyond English Breakfast: An Introduction to the World’s Great Teas »
Where to Buy Amazing Tea Online »
The Tea Cup and the Dragon: Secrets of China’s Favorite Green Tea »
Taste Test: Should I Use Filtered or Bottled Water for Tea? »
