In May I ran a tea-tasting afternoon with friends at college. 20 people dropped by to try the seven teas I provided. My favourite part of the afternoon was hearing all the different favourites – pretty much every tea was someone’s favourite.
In this post I am going to introduce you to teas infused with, or made of, ingredients other than Camellia Sinensis leaves. There are scented teas like Jasmine and Osthamanthus, flower teas like Rose and Chrsyanthemum, blooming teas, and even tea made of lichen.
Many categories of Chinese tea are known by a colour designation: White, Green, Yellow, Red, Blue-Green, and Black. Differences in leaf and process, amount of fermentation (and other factors) create the different categories.
My introduction to Chinese tea came during my first visit to China in 1999. Back then I knew very little about Chinese tea, but after more than ten years in China I know a lot. I am really interested in Chinese tea, and hope to help you understand and find an interest in it as well.
My family came to Beijing to celebrate my 30th birthday with me – my parents, my sisters, my brother in law and his brother. They arrived in four different lots, and so they didn’t all do the same things in Beijing, but it was still a really great time!
Stories From Tanya 