/r/tea

Photograph via //r/tea

Tea! This subreddit is for discussion of beverages made from soaking camellia sinensis leaves (or twigs) in water, and, to a lesser extent, herbal infusions, yerba mate, and other tisanes.

Tea! This subreddit is for discussion of beverages made from soaking Camellia sinensis leaves (or twigs) in water, and, to a lesser extent, herbal infusions, yerba mate, and other tisanes. Talk about your favorite place to buy tea, the growers and farms, processing methods, vendors, or equipment. There's a whole world of tea out there beyond the humble (yet handy) bag, and this is a great place to learn!

If you are having trouble getting started, the r/tea FAQ includes many topics that may help.

Also, check out The Non-Judgmental Guide to Tea.

Want to buy tea?
Check out our User's Choice Vendor List.

Want to find a tea festival?
Check out our Tea Festival List.

Want to find a teahouse or local shop?
Have a look at our map.
We highly welcome new locations, send us a message about the great places you like.


Time and Temperature Guide:

Tea Temperature Minutes
Black 95°C / 205°F 3 - 5
Oolong/White 85°C / 185°F 3 - 4
Green/Yellow 80°C / 176°F 2 - 3
Herbal/Tisanes 100°C / 212°F (boiling) 5 - 15

Please note that these are only guidelines and you may need to experiment to get the taste you like. For more detailed info and other brewing styles, see the FAQ.


Summary of Rules & Guidelines

  1. Self-promotion is strictly limited.
  2. No link posts directly to tea shops.
  3. No third party surveys or questionnaires. Reddit polls are allowed with limitations.
  4. Health benefit discussions are considered off-topic.
  5. Don't solicit or offer medical advice or discuss health concerns.
  6. Don't discuss controlled substances.
  7. No affiliate links. No link shorteners.
  8. Discounts go in /r/teasales.
  9. Make your title descriptive.
  10. Be respectful of each other, and follow The Reddiquette.
  11. Grievances regarding vendors or other users should be first addressed in private. (see rules page for details)
  12. Photo posts must include a top level comment with some information about your photo (what the significance of your photo is, mini review, etc.)
  13. Tea memes are not permitted here, but are welcome over at /r/2teairl4teairl.

Full text on our Rules page.

This is not an exhaustive list. The moderators have the right to remove any post or comment we see as inappropriate for this community.


Chat with us!

Join the official /r/tea Discord server.

For other online communities, see the communities wiki.


Filter Posts By:

No Photo Posts Clear Filters

Question/Help Recommendation

Photo Identification

Review Blog

Discussion Meta

Article Food

Recurring Video

Reference Marketing Monday


Related Subreddits:

/r/TeaSales - For all those great deals

/r/TeaPictures - Pretty pictures of tea

/r/TeaExchange - Trade tea with others

/r/MugLife - Share your teacups here!

/r/Puer - For hardcore Pu heads

/r/AlternativeHealth - Health discussions welcome

/r/Matcha

/r/Herbaltea

/r/Lupicia

/r/Kombucha/

/r/RateMyTea

For the full list see the related subreddits wiki page.


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/r/tea

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3

Blank cake: silver needle from YS (info in desc)

Jinggu sun-dried silver needle in tea cake style.

Front and closed: https://imgur.com/a/KqIf1Z9

A good silver needle. You can taste the sun-dried process like in sunskate (obviously more subtle also cause this is var. sinensis I guess). I know YS is the best for other teas but I throw it in the haul cause I was missing some silver needle at home. Good cop 👍

0 Comments
2024/10/04
11:02 UTC

1

What is your favorite Chinese tea store on Lazada or Shopee?

Hey guys! I'm in Thailand for a while. I love Chinese tea, and I've seen many shops in the marketplaces. Which are your favorites? I want to order some. Thanks!

0 Comments
2024/10/04
10:29 UTC

1

What is this Chinese tea?

My cousin brought me this in 2019 from china and I want to know more about this tea..

0 Comments
2024/10/04
09:24 UTC

1

Tynee Tips Billy Tea

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help me find where I could still buy Ty-nee Tips loose leaf tea, the brand is Billy Tea. It has purple packaging with the Billy Tea logo in orange. The only place I knew has stopped stocking it so any help would be much appreciated :)

0 Comments
2024/10/04
09:20 UTC

1

How Long can I keep water INSIDE my Chagama?

Hey there!

I've recently purchased my First chagama. I went purely after Design though and I got a very heavy model weighing almost 9 kg empty, wo it easily gets to about 15kg when filled with water. Needless to say, emptying it is a bit of a struggle.

I have already seasoned it Well with hard water and treated any Rust it already had With boiling tea.

Now my question is: How Long is it recommend to actually keep water in there? Let's say I make tea before Work and want to make tea when I get Back Home again. Can I Just keep the water sitting in there? Or will I have Problems with rust? Also are there any rwcommendations for Handling very heavy chagama that make it easier?

Thanks for your advice Kind Stranger!

0 Comments
2024/10/04
05:08 UTC

2

UCC Milk Tea vs Sangaria Milk Tea

I have always been a Sangaria milk tea fan since I was a kid, but recently, I accidentally bought 24 cans of the UCC milk tea brand. At first, I looked down on it since my coworker said it tasted like shit, so I was kinda bummed out that I bought 24 cans of it. But, when I tasted it, I was pleasantly surprised.

UCC was a cheaper, and IMO, a really good substitute for Sangaria. The only reason why I say substitute is because I feel like Sangaria is more richer in flavor, while UCC is a little bit watered down. But, if I had to choose between the two, I would choose UCC. Not only is it cheaper, there's more product.

But this is my opinion lol. What do you guys think? Have you had both? If so, which one do you like better?

0 Comments
2024/10/04
03:29 UTC

3

what type of tea would you recommend for teh tarik?

Hi, I went to Malaysia some months ago and tried their teh tarik at the foot of Batu Caves. I've been trying to replicate the drink with teas like Lipton and Twinings but they don't quite taste the same. What brand would you recommend for a good cup of teh tarik? What type of tea (black, green, etc.)? I'll also really appreciate any recipes/tips in preparing it.Thank you so much!

2 Comments
2024/10/04
01:35 UTC

6

Today's Cuppa Chiyonoen Tea Farm - Organic Sencha Okimidori

I’ve been savoring my recent teas from Chiyonoen Tea Farm, pacing myself by only opening two Senchas at a time to keep them as fresh as possible. Today’s session featured their Organic Sencha Okimidori, and it’s been fantastic—delicate, with a smooth, grassy sweetness and a hint of umami that lingers pleasantly. The balance is impeccable, making each cup an experience worth slowing down for. It’s all about quality over quantity, and Chiyonoen’s offerings have certainly delivered.

https://preview.redd.it/992m93r7tmsd1.jpg?width=3967&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c03ca36c9ed2d6237423f7f83271d99fde20c4cd

https://preview.redd.it/kjbdk3r7tmsd1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b097bcc92cc5e3d6067a693868769f197fe9bb0

3 Comments
2024/10/04
00:15 UTC

29

I'm disappointed to discover that teabags from UK contain DOUBLE the tea that is contained in a typical Italian teabag

One of the most famous tea brand in Italy is Star Tea and the bag contains only 1,5 grams. Trwinings is a bit better with 2 grams and Cupper (the European rebrand of Clipper) does the best, with 2,2 grams. Still far from the 2,5 grams contained in the UK Twinings teabags, and the 3 grams of Yorkshire Tea.

I'm considering to order online tea from the UK just for this, even if it costs a lot more.

Or maybe put just two teabags in the mug, since I like my tea strong and dark.

What about you, fellow Europeans? Also in your countries teabags are so incredibly tiny?

25 Comments
2024/10/03
23:14 UTC

3

What is this tea

I got this as a gift and I am absolutely addicted to it and want to order more. Anyone know what this is?

3 Comments
2024/10/03
21:27 UTC

24

Return of Upton Tea: sample haul

4 Comments
2024/10/03
19:59 UTC

3

Holy basil recommendations

Hey guys I’ve recently gotten some holy basil (Rama tulsi) from upton tea and it’s really good. But it’s quite expensive. Does anyone have recommendations for a cheaper source?

2 Comments
2024/10/03
19:27 UTC

2

Am I steeping my hairy crab oolong wrong?

I have some hairy crab oolong, and I've been putting it into my regular loose leaf strainer(pictured), enough to fill the metal part about two-thirds(maybe 1.5tsp?), and using 195F(90.5C) water. It always comes out so watery, whether I steep it for 3 minutes or 10 minutes(not even subtle, like just not flavorful at all). Are the leaves expanding too much with not enough space and getting squished in the small strainer? Am I not supposed to use a strainer on this type of tea at all? How should I steep this correctly? I've read about the right temperature and steeping times but other than that I haven't found other info that I'm looking for. This is my first loose leaf oolong I've bought, and I've never had a tea with leaves that expand so much with water before.

https://preview.redd.it/q5c50u172lsd1.png?width=1326&format=png&auto=webp&s=40ea97269453219c0e95b22e3d5027d25b8a14bf

6 Comments
2024/10/03
18:30 UTC

7

Da hong Pao recommendations?

Asking for a super niche tea but if anyone has a good source for “Da Hong Pao” oolong teas please let me know!

I’ve thought the “13 years aged” option from Yunnan Sourcing and the Organic Da Hong Pao from TeaVivre and both were good! Just wanted to see if I there are any others from different companies.

Thanks for your feedback!

5 Comments
2024/10/03
17:58 UTC

36

Looking for an electric kettle that does NOT BEEP.

Hey all, I'm looking to buy an electric kettle which meets following requirements:

  • does NOT BEEP when starts/finishes or when buttons are pressed (or there is an option to disable BEEP)
  • has temperature control (preferably be able to set 95*C)
  • metal insides, not plastic touching boiling water
  • can be bought in EU

Nice to have:

  • has round/oval spout but not the gooseneck - from my experience it's so much better than the V-shaped spout. Gooseneck on the other hand is really slow.

Honestly I'm pulling my hair off, because I just can't find kettle that meets the above requirements. Every device has those annoying BEEP sounds on every possible interaction and they're LOUD, I'd accept if it was very VERY subtle beep. I don't care about the boiling noise - it's pleasant to me, but the BEEPs... god damn I hate those. Last kettle I bought I had to de-BEEP myself by damaging the BEEPer, but this results in void warranty and I'd like to avoid that if possible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

61 Comments
2024/10/03
17:52 UTC

4

Looking for Tea equivalent to the one sold by Teavana

Okay so backstory I used to buy this tea from teavana and can’t find it anywhere.

After scouring the internet and finding little to no “complete” details of its ingredients:

The tea used to be called Youth Berry Wild Orange Blossom Tea Ingredients found online: Apple pieces, beetroot pieces, candied pineapple, citrus, citrus peel, hibiscus flowers, mango, orange, red currant, rose hops, rose petals, white tea

My question is if anyone knows where I can buy this tea or find a somewhat equivalent ?

I’m guessing I may not be the only one who has searched for this tea and is curious where I can get it again. When teavana was popular they used to serve this as samples outside their shop I used to order this to go as it was 2013 when they first came out with it. I added a picture for reference of one website I found some information on. If anyone has information on where I can find this same tea again it would be greatly appreciate! 🙇🏽‍♀️

4 Comments
2024/10/03
16:52 UTC

5

Silver Needle Tastes Like Vegetables?

Looking for some advice as to if this is how the tea is supposed to taste or if I brewed it incorrectly.

I am newb to Chinese teas, I've always liked white teas and decided to get some Fuding Bai Hao Yin Zhen Silver Needles from Yunnan Sourcing recently.

I brewed gong fu, at 185f for 10s, 20s, 30s infusions, and the tea taste like the water leftover after boiling spinach and smells like lawn clippings.

I am disappointed, as I normally like white teas and the reviews/description of this tea talks about sweet/floral notes and a fruity aftertaste

Any recommendations to brew this tea better? Or am I stuck with this watery vegetable taste

8 Comments
2024/10/03
16:46 UTC

0

Tea house/local shop near St. Joe Michigan?

I will be vacationing there with my wife for a couple nights to St. Joe Michigan, and I was curious if there is a Chinese Tea house anywhere near there? There isn’t anything near me that’s brick and mortar for Chinese tea, Gongfu style etc, so I would love to visit something in person!

1 Comment
2024/10/03
16:45 UTC

2

Do not buy Sindbad tea

I was at a large supermarket for International foods, a bought a container of whole leaf Assam of the Sindbad brand. It was stale and flavorless. I'm going to have to compost the whole thing. Lesson learned!

1 Comment
2024/10/03
16:04 UTC

3

Hojicha powder recommendations

I've pretty much dialed in my matcha process to exactly how I like it, so now I'm thinking about making hojicha lattes. I tried grinding hojicha in a mortar and pestle last night but the powder was still too grainy even after sifting through a fine mesh sieve. Does anybody have experience with the Ocha and Co hojicha powder? Or maybe the Hojicha Co version?

Thanks in advance!

1 Comment
2024/10/03
15:04 UTC

0

Can Milk Oolong be from China?

Hello! I recently got gifted a Jin Xuan tea and the packaging said "Chinese Milk Oolong tea" but after some brief research I found out that it's a taiwanese tea, I get that Taiwan is next to China, but can anyone confirm if this makes any sence? Maybe it's the brand (Basilur) and they strongly consider Taiwan a part of China? Any help is strongly appreciated!

9 Comments
2024/10/03
14:10 UTC

11

Furthering one's tea education

How does one further their knowledge of Chinese tea in addition to YouTube channels like Mei Leaf, CLT, etc.? Are there any books, websites, blogs, etc. that are accessible to English speakers? It seems that learning Mandarin would open up quite a few options, but I'm afraid that'll have to wait for now.

8 Comments
2024/10/03
13:33 UTC

4

Tea and Port issues

So, with the ports closed due to strike, where is everyone getting their tea within the US?

I had just signed up for White2Tea monthly subscription but that ships from China and I won’t be getting that until the strike is over.

What sites can I check out to buy some great tea? I’m open to any teas.

22 Comments
2024/10/03
12:54 UTC

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