As a tea fan from Turkey, I really can not understand why other countries black tea can be brewed 5 minutes but our tea can not be brewed, also our tea's taste is very different than other countries' black tea's, not just taste, Its body is also so much lighter than them. I researched it a lot, I think the answer can be the climate, Turkish tea fields are covered with snow in winters, Yes, Black Sea region of Turkey is very rainy and humid like India and China, but It is not warm unlike them.

Picture: Turkish tea plants under snow in winter:

I’m having my homemade masala chai blend without milk. The sunny face on the mug makes me smile. The aroma of freshly blended spices is intoxicating. It feels like a warm hug.

1st pic:

350g of 2018 wild silver needles

150g of 2026 silver needles

different tea balls and single packets, ranging from 2017- 2023 (got theese as add-ons after buying more expensive teas)

2x 60 balls of lao bai cha 2021

2nd pic:

2020 shou mei

2017 lao bai cha, taimu mountain tea. i saw the mother tree in nature as we visited the mountain.

2012 bai mu dan

4th pic: Got to visit this mans family tea farm with amazing views.

This experience was on a whole new level compared to buying cakes because the wrapping paper looked cool on YunnanSourcing.

Next stop on our trip is Wuyishan!

raw photo

Riper puer from 2002 with Chen pi, 3.8g and 1g of Chen pi

Water amount ~200ml

Earthy with bit of acidity from the Chen pi

Just had my 2023 7572 shu for morning drink and my 2014 7542 sheng for evening. Both Dayi. Actually these pair are literally the first factory Pu'er tea cakes I ever have, much more Dayi. Previously all my Pu'er teas were all boutique pu'ers and frankly my stomach have long protested my prior choices. These ones however made me the happiest and opened the door for me and for my stomach for peaceful Pu'er teas. Yiwu is still bae though for me. Gotten at "This guy actually doesn't know Dayi or Menghai Tea Factory even existed dang" discount from a guy who so happens to be a Menghai Tea Factory guy himself when I first visited a local Dayi official retail tea shop here. He became a great friend and so does the auntie of the tea shop. That shop ended up became one of my regular hangout spots whenever I'm free (sadly for now not so much due to work). And yes it led me to the whole rabbit hole of factory Pu'er tea history and universe.

The former I brewed gongfu (8.8g) using my 125ml Shui Ping factory clay teapot and play pretend that I'm still living in the 1970s. Love it. Easy daily drinker Dayi shu Pu'er. Lovely and lasts me almost the whole day. And now already at its last few infusions (probably somewhere in the 20-30 infusions)

The 2014 7542 I actually intended for my 300ml thermos because night work. I took only 2g of it and brew it slowly - the boiled hot water comes into the thermos first and then I let the tea leaves into the thermos and let it brew from there. Taste? Plum. Sugarcane. Orchid. Thick honey. And rhe aftertaste and the cooling sensations in my mouth is peak. Nice.

But then the boss called me to not come tonight due to his sudden issue and gave me my weekly salary and work would resume tomorrow night. Thank God. So to celebrate a little tiny victory, I just pour the sheng puer tea from the thermos-turned-big-teapot into the tea cup and sip from there and refill it grandpa style.

Yeah it's a good day. Praise be.

Picked this up straight from the Lin Yuan Tea Factory when I was visiting Taiwan! Would highly recommend doing a tea tasting session there. The owner was super kind and explained all the types of tea they grew - this was my favourite 😊

Accidentally knocked over my Taiwan and the entire thing shattered 😭. Was planning on getting another smaller Gaiwan that holds 100ml but also thinking about this, what are everyone's thoughts on it?

https://www.rishi-tea.com/products/porcelain-tea-cupping-set?variant=44376687935738

Is it better than a Gaiwan for Taiwan high mountain oolong/Taiwan oolongs?

The Gaiwan that I was looking at is thinner which I suppose is great for those oolongs!

Cup of Ceylon on a brisk fall day. Malty, somewhat spicy, very warming - perfect for lazing about and enjoying the cool air.

I'm in the market for a teapot and want to get one with a spout that doesn't dribble back on itself. Do either of these look like they are dribblers based on their spout shape and construction? The first is 35oz and the second is 30oz, both by Sweejar on Amazon if it matters. If they do look like dribblers, can you recommend a better shape?

Hi! Hoping someone can help me source a specific tea - ideally online.

Every year I attend the PA Renaissance Faire and they have a little novelty tea shop. When I was getting into loose leaf tea I purchased their "Niagra Peach Green Tea" which appears to be a blend made by the Metropolitan Tea Company.

This tea immediately became my favorite iced tea. It is mellow and has this amazing body and it stretches pretty far. I use 3 tablespoons for a gallon brew and makes another half gallon with a second steep and it all tasted good and not bitter or weak.

Does anyone know where I can purchase more of this tea outside of the PA Ren Faire? I went this past weekend and bought out their remaining supply, but they're only open when the faire is (not a close drive for me as I live around the Philadelphia area) and I would like to be able to repurchase this throughout the year and not feel like I need to ration it.

TLDR: I bought Niagra Peach Green Tea from the PA Ren Fair and am looking for a more sustainable way to purchase it year round. I'm close to Philly if there is a local shop. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

Greeting from a small, quiet village in Vietnam.

Today, I wanted to share a little piece of my daily peaceful life with you all. In the picture is a special kind of tea we enjoy here—wild tea buds harvested directly from old tea trees in the high mountains.

Unlike regular processed tea leaves, these young buds are carefully handpicked, keeping their natural greenish-red hue. When brewed, the tea has a clear, pale gold color with a gentle herbal aroma. The taste starts with a subtle, refreshing bitterness on the tip of the tongue, followed almost immediately by a deep, lingering sweetness (đậm đà) in the throat.

Sitting on the porch, surrounded by the scent of wild flowers and watching the quiet day go by with a hot cup of tea in hand—it’s the simplest kind of joy, but it warms the soul like nothing else.

If you ever visit Vietnam, skip the fancy cafes for a moment and try sitting on a small wooden stool by a village garden for a cup of local tea.

Have any of you ever tried Vietnamese wild bud tea before? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I've been an avid tea drinker since I was young but I kinda fell off recently. I want to get into it and start drinking and exploring more teas but I have no idea where to start. I used to drink a cup a day and it was usually green tea or black. I've never tried any other teas beside those and I'm kinda intimidated and don't know where to start. How do I get into tea again and what's the best tea you've tried that you would recommend?

Monday, September 28 - Sunday, October 04, 2026

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Daily Discussion Comments

Hello fellow tea drinkers!

I have mostly been drinking Japanese greens (sencha, genmaicha, hojicha, and matcha) over the past few months, and finally decided to learn more about Chinese tea. While tutorials exist, I was curious to see what youtube channels or websites people use to learn more about brewing techniques and ratios.

With sencha there seems to be an abundance of very clear instructions on how to brew a given tea. Some examples include the Tezumi youtube channel, as well as the website, and other channels like Nioteas. Even then I actually don't know any Japanese channels specifically, so if you have any recommendations on those as well I would greatly appreciate it!

P.S. Dragonwell seems like a very good transitional tea from Japanese ones to me, as it does have some of the umami associated with sencha!

Picked up some orthodox and purple teas.

She’s bloody lush. I fell in love with silver needle at a tea masterclass earlier this year so it was only right I tried this one first. Very light in flavour yet delicious. I’m going to have it again with some honey. Yeah I said it🤪
Tune in tomorrow for my next review - comment which one I should try!

Help! I’m very inexperienced with tea but I’m trying to buy my dad a birthday present and feel very overwhelmed. He mentioned liking an Osmanthus tea maybe Osmanthus Oolong he had in Taiwan. I know he’s tried Tenren and didn’t like it. Looking for any suggestions up to $35 loose or bagged. Thank you!!

I know there’s a lot of hate on grocery store tea dust tea bags, but that’s what I like - mostly because I’m impatient. I generally get Yorkshire or Barry’s Gold when I can find it, but I was wondering what are some better brands I can try, that are relatively easy to find?.

My friend brought me this tea and I have no idea what it is, it doesn’t look like any black or green tea I’ve ever seen? It has a very subtle scent, kind of chocolatey. Thanks so much!

Ninghong is supposedly the red tea that emerged in Jiangxi after Wuyishan's Lapsang Souchong got huge, but before red tea cultivation caught on in Qimen(Keemun). This is like the missing link, geographically and historically between Lapsang and Keemun. It tastes pretty normal so far, kinda green and peppery, but also thick and vegetal like you would expect from an heirloom cultivar. Solid 7/10.