Learn Tea
Understand it first, then drink it
Six categories · Three keys to brewing · Four seasons · Q&A
I
The six tea categories, on one page
Unoxidized, semi-oxidized, fully oxidized, post-fermented — find where our teas sit on the map.
II
Brew it right
Water, leaf, timing — three variables settle it. Plus a film of my father pan-firing tea.
III
Drink with the seasons
Green in spring, raw pu-erh in summer, red in autumn, aged in winter — the everyday logic.
IV
Beginner Q&A
Where to start? How to store? How much a day? The questions everyone asks first.
Lesson one
The six tea categories, on one page
Chinese tea is classified not by the plant, but by one thing:
degree of oxidation. Lighter, closer to the fresh leaf; deeper, rounder and mellower.
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Green Ours
Unoxidized. Pan-firing locks in freshness — the taste of spring.
e.g. our charcoal-fired green
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White
Barely oxidized. Withered and dried only — no rolling, no firing.
e.g. Silver Needle
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Yellow
Lightly oxidized. One extra "sweating" step; softer than green, very rare.
e.g. Junshan Silver Needle
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Oolong
Half oxidized. The widest aromatic range, from light Tieguanyin to rock tea.
e.g. Tieguanyin, Da Hong Pao
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Red Ours
Fully oxidized. Bright red liquor, sweet and smooth — gentle even on a sensitive stomach.
e.g. our wild & ancient-tree blacks
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Dark Ours
Post-fermented. Sun-dried maocha is the raw material of pu-erh — it ages gracefully.
e.g. our sun-dried maocha (raw pu-erh)
One line to remember: light oxidation for freshness, deep oxidation for mellowness. Not sure where you fit? Message us on WeChat and tell us what you usually drink — we'll point you to the right one.
Don't blame the leaf yet
Three numbers brew a good cup
The same tea can taste two price tiers apart, depending on the brew.
Get these three variables right and any tea shows its best.
Water
Cool for tender, boiling for bold
Green tea ~85°C — let boiled water rest a minute. Red and sun-dried teas, 95–100°C: pour straight off the boil to open the aroma.
Leaf
Better too little than too much
3–5 g in a ~110 ml gaiwan, just covering the bottom. Too strong? Add water. Too weak? Add leaf — the reverse can't be saved.
Timing
Pour fast, never stew
First infusions out in 5–10 seconds. Stewing makes bitter, astringent tea; later, add 5 seconds per round as the flavor fades.
Exact parameters for each tea are on every tea card in the Teas page.
The old way
Drink with the seasons
Fifty years of my father's habit: the season decides the cup.
Not superstition — your body wants different things as the weather turns.
Spring · everything awakens
Fresh: charcoal-fired green
A winter's staleness wakes up to one brisk, bean-scented green cup.
Summer · heat at its peak
Cooling: raw pu-erh (sun-dried)
Raw pu-erh runs cool, sweet and salivating — lovely cold-brewed in hot weather.
Autumn · dry air sets in In season
Moistening: ancient-tree red
Honey and fruit over a thick, smooth body — the cup that fits autumn chill best.
Winter · around the stove
Warming: wild black tea
Wild mountain character, poured slow off the boil — or simmered in a pot to warm the whole room.
Asked most often
Beginner Q&A
I don't drink tea much — where do I start?
Start with the wild black tea. Sweet, smooth, no bitterness — most people's "first cup." Then explore raw pu-erh's energy and green tea's freshness.
Not sure? Message us: do you drink more coffee or milk tea, light or strong? We'll match a tea to your taste.
How do I store tea after opening?
Three words: dark, sealed, odor-free. Green tea — finish it fresh, keep it refrigerated. Red tea — sealed at room temperature. Sun-dried maocha only needs a dry place; it improves year after year.
How much per day? When should I skip it?
6–10 g of dry leaf a day, over two or three sessions, is plenty for most people. If sleep is sensitive, switch to light tea or water 3 hours before bed; avoid strong tea on an empty stomach.
What should I gift?
See the book-and-tea gift box: one book, one tea, a handwritten brewing note — presentable for friends and elders alike. For bulk corporate gifting, message us.
Why is your tea affordable for its quality?
No middlemen: my father makes it himself in the mountains, shipped straight from Yunnan to you. No storefront, no ad budget — the savings simply aren't added to your price.
After the lesson
Now drink the real thing
Tea learned on paper stays shallow. Brew one of the seasonal teas,
drink it with this page open — your tongue will teach you the rest.
信
WeChat · best way
One-on-one, free answers on choosing tea and brewing.
Mention "learn tea."
红
Xiaohongshu (RED) · daily posts
Search "茶语书香" for life on the tea mountain and
short brewing films; DMs work too.
海
International friends
Reach us the same two ways — WeChat and Xiaohongshu.
Shipping quoted by weight; talk first, order after.
Full transparency: tea questions are always free — no fees, no pushing. If the tea suits you, then we talk about an order. Make tea honestly, recommend tea honestly; that's the family rule.