move oolong, nothing to tea here

Tea is always a good idea. Never underestimate the power of tea; it can drastically change your day and your outlook on your list of to-dos.

For a long time, I’ve always preferred tea to coffee. I still do, although I really cannot deny a good cup of Chemex or a perfected latte nowadays. But there’s something about tea that’s so familiar and comforting I just can’t say no to. I think at the end of the day, my heart will always belong to tea.

My grandmother was a tea farmer, so I guess you can say that an affinity for tea runs in the family genes. My parents only drink tea and so I was brought up only drinking tea. The house was always filled with tins of green, black, and red teas.

Personally, my favorite teas are:

Tieguanyin (铁观音) or Iron Goddess of Mercy: This Fujian oolong tea has a complex profile. It’s almost “baked” to a certain degree and has a nice roasted, nutty flavor.
Pu-erh (普洱茶): This is the wine of teas. The more aged it is, the better. The complexity of Yunnan pu-erh is so unique.
Longjing (龙井茶) or Dragon Well: A renowned green tea for its high quality, I love the freshness of this tea from Zhejiang.
Da Hong Pao (大红袍) or Big Red Robe: This oolong tea from the Wuyi Mountains has a nice floral scent and are very costly.
Genmaicha: A Japanese green tea combined with roasted brown rice, genmaicha is fresh and easy to drink. The aroma of the roasted brown rice is particularly soothing.
Tencha: Super smooth, very complex Japanese green tea.
Matcha: I love everything about matcha. How it’s prepared, how it looks, how it tastes. Anytime I see something with matcha in it, I have to order it.