Tea is the most everyday beverage for Chinese people, but faced with the dazzling array of varieties — green tea, black tea, oolong, white tea, yellow tea, dark tea — how do you choose? What's the difference between bulk tea at a few dollars per pound and premium tea at hundreds? Drawing from fifteen years of tea-drinking experience, this article explains all the ins and outs of buying tea.
After fifteen years of drinking tea, from tea bags to Dancong, from a few hundred RMB per jin to a few thousand, my understanding of tea has gone through several stages. At first, I thought tea was just a thirst-quenching beverage — a Lipton tea bag would do. Then I started drinking domestic bagged teas and discovered the huge difference between the tea dust in bags and whole-leaf tea. Later, I was introduced to Tieguanyin, Longjing, and Pu'er, and that's when I truly entered the world of tea. Now, I must brew a pot of Gongfu tea every day to settle down — tea has become an indispensable part of my life. In this article, I've condensed fifteen years of tea-buying experience to help you avoid unnecessary detours.
The most fundamental basis for classifying Chinese tea is the degree of fermentation. Simply put, the lower the fermentation level, the closer the taste is to the fresh leaves themselves, and the lighter the liquor color. The higher the fermentation level, the more mellow and complex the flavor, and the deeper the color. Below, I introduce each of the six tea categories one by one.
Green tea is the most widely consumed tea category in China, accounting for over 60% of total tea production and consumption. Green tea is not fermented; it uses fixation (high heat to deactivate enzyme activity) to preserve its bright green color and fresh, brisk taste. Representative varieties include Xihu Longjing, Dongting Biluochun, Xinyang Maojian, Huangshan Maofeng, Lu'an Guapian, and Taiping Houkui.
Xihu Longjing: The benchmark of green teas, produced around Hangzhou's West Lake. The core production areas are divided into five sub-regions known as "Shi, Long, Yun, Hu, Mei," among which Shifeng Longjing has the highest quality. Good Longjing has flat, smooth leaves, a tender green color, a clear and lasting aroma (unique bean fragrance or chestnut aroma), and a fresh, mellow, sweet taste. Authentic Xihu Longjing is very expensive — first-pick pre-Qingming Shifeng Longjing costs 3000-8000 RMB/jin, while cheaper Xihu Longjing still costs 800-1500 RMB/jin. "Zhejiang Longjing" or "Yuezhou Longjing" on the market are much cheaper (300-800 RMB/jin) and still of good quality, making them great everyday choices.
Dongting Biluochun: Produced in Dongshan and Xishan of Taihu Lake, Jiangsu, known for its "beautiful shape, bright color, rich aroma, and mellow taste." Biluochun is characterized by tightly twisted dry leaves, visible white down, and a snail-like curl. When brewed, it has a fragrant aroma (a mix of floral and fruity notes) and a fresh, sweet taste. Good Biluochun costs 2000-5000 RMB/jin, while more affordable options are still 500-1000 RMB/jin.
Xinyang Maojian: A green tea from Xinyang, Henan, known for being fine, round, tight, and straight. Xinyang Maojian has a bright, tender green liquor, a clear and lasting fragrance, and a rich, mellow taste. It offers good value among famous green teas, with high-quality versions costing 500-1200 RMB/jin.
First, look at the appearance: good green tea has tightly twisted leaves, vibrant color, and visible white down (especially Biluochun and Maojian). Second, smell the aroma: good green tea has a fresh bean-like or floral fragrance, not grassy or stale. Third, observe the liquor color: bright, tender green is best; yellow or dull indicates insufficient freshness. Fourth, taste: fresh, mellow, and sweet with a pleasant aftertaste is good; bitter, astringent, or numbing indicates poor quality. The most important factor is freshness — the newer the green tea, the better. This year's new tea and last year's aged tea are completely different products.
Black tea is the most widely consumed tea category in the world. What Westerners call "Black Tea" is Hongcha in Chinese. Black tea undergoes full fermentation, resulting in a red liquor, a mellow, sweet taste, low astringency, and suitability for drinking with milk and sugar. Representative varieties include Zhengshan Xiaozhong, Jin Junmei, Keemun Black Tea, Dianhong, and Chuanhong.
Zhengshan Xiaozhong: The originator of world black tea, produced in Tongmuguan, Wuyi Mountain, Fujian. Traditional Zhengshan Xiaozhong has a unique pine smoke aroma and longan flavor, derived from smoking the leaves over pinewood during processing. Smoked Xiaozhong has an intense, smoky taste — those who love it adore it, while those who don't find it reminiscent of bacon. Unscented Zhengshan Xiaozhong (also called "new-style Xiaozhong") has a sweeter, fruitier taste. Authentic Zhengshan Xiaozhong costs 500-2000 RMB/jin, while cheap "Waishan Xiaozhong" (from non-Tongmuguan areas) costs only 100-300 RMB/jin, with a huge quality gap.
Jin Junmei: A top-tier branch of Zhengshan Xiaozhong, made from single buds of high-altitude tea plants in Tongmuguan, Wuyi Mountain. Jin Junmei has small, tightly twisted leaves with a golden-black color (prominent golden tips), a golden, translucent liquor, a complex aroma (floral, fruity, honey-like), and a sweet, mellow taste. Good Jin Junmei costs 3000-10000+ RMB/jin, making it a luxury among black teas. Most "Jin Junmei" selling for a few hundred RMB per jin on the market are fake or imitation products.
Keemun Black Tea: Produced in Qimen, Anhui, famous worldwide for "Keemun fragrance" — a unique, complex aroma reminiscent of flowers, fruit, and honey. Keemun has a mellow taste and a long, lingering aftertaste, representing the pinnacle of Gongfu black teas. Good Keemun costs 400-1200 RMB/jin, offering much better value than Jin Junmei.
Oolong tea is the most complex tea category in terms of processing, with a wide range of fermentation levels, from lightly fermented (close to green tea) to deeply fermented (close to black tea). Representative varieties include Tieguanyin, Dahongpao, Fenghuang Dancong, Dongding Oolong, and Oriental Beauty.
Tieguanyin: A famous tea from Anxi, Fujian, available in three types: light-fragrance, rich-fragrance, and aged-fragrance. Light-fragrance Tieguanyin has a lighter fermentation level (about 15-20%), a fresh, brisk taste, and a pronounced floral aroma (unique orchid fragrance). It is currently the mainstream choice but requires refrigeration for storage. Rich-fragrance Tieguanyin is roasted, resulting in a more mellow taste with a toasted rice aroma, and is easier to store. Good Tieguanyin costs 200-800 RMB/jin — already quite good quality. Anything too cheap (under 50 RMB) is mostly scraps or imitation tea.
Dahongpao: The representative of Wuyi Rock Tea, produced in Wuyi Mountain, Fujian. Dahongpao is the most famous of the rock teas, but it's nearly impossible to drink the original mother tree Dahongpao (those trees are protected and no longer harvested). The "Dahongpao" on the market is actually blended Wuyi rock tea. Good rock tea (Shuixian, Rougui) has a unique "rock charm" — a mineral sensation and roasted character derived from the rocky soil. Rougui is known for its sharp aroma (there's a saying, "no fragrance surpasses Rougui"), while Shuixian is valued for its thick, mellow mouthfeel. Good Wuyi rock tea costs 400-2000 RMB/jin.
Fenghuang Dancong: An Oolong tea from Chaozhou, Guangdong, renowned for its rich variety of aroma types — Yashixiang, Milanxiang, Huangzhixiang, Zhilanxiang, and hundreds more. Fenghuang Dancong has an intense taste, strong returning sweetness, and a high, soaring aroma, making it the perfect match for Gongfu tea. Good Fenghuang Dancong costs 300-1000 RMB/jin, with Milanxiang and Yashixiang being the best choices for beginners.
White tea has the simplest processing method, involving only withering and drying, which maximizes the retention of the fresh leaves' natural components. The quality characteristic of white tea is described as "one-year tea, three-year medicine, seven-year treasure" — as the years increase, the medicinal value of white tea improves, and the taste evolves from fresh and brisk to mellow and smooth. Representative varieties include Baihao Yinzhen, Bai Mudan, Gongmei, and Shoumei.
Baihao Yinzhen (Silver Needle): The top-grade variety of white tea, made only from single buds. The leaves are covered in white down, silver-white in color, with a pale apricot-yellow liquor. The taste is fresh, brisk, and sweet, with a prominent downy aroma. Good Baihao Yinzhen costs 800-3000 RMB/jin.
Bai Mudan (White Peony): Made from one bud with one or two leaves, combining the tenderness of the bud with the richness of the leaves. It has a pronounced floral aroma and offers the best value among white tea varieties. Good Bai Mudan costs 300-800 RMB/jin.
Aged white tea (over three years) has a more mellow taste with jujube or medicinal aromas and commands higher prices. White tea aged over five years typically costs 1000-3000 RMB/jin.
Yellow tea is an extremely niche category, accounting for less than 1% of total tea production. Its processing is similar to green tea, with an additional "yellowing" step — allowing the tea to ferment slightly under warm, humid conditions, resulting in yellow liquor and yellow leaves. Representative varieties include Junshan Yinzhen, Mengding Huangya, and Huoshan Huangya. Yellow tea has a taste between green tea and black tea — more mellow than green tea, yet more refreshing than black tea. Junshan Yinzhen is the finest yellow tea, produced on Junshan Island in Dongting Lake, Yueyang, Hunan, costing 800-3000 RMB/jin. Due to its low production volume and small market, many tea shops may not even carry yellow tea. For ordinary tea enthusiasts, yellow tea can be a novelty to try, but not an everyday staple.
Dark tea is post-fermented, meaning it continues to age and ferment after production. The longer the time, the better the quality (similar to wine or aged tangerine peel). Representative varieties include Pu'er tea (raw/ripe), Liubao tea, Fu Brick Tea, and Anhua Dark Tea. Dark tea has a thick, mellow taste with a unique aged or medicinal aroma.
Pu'er Tea: The most famous of the dark teas, divided into raw (sheng) and ripe (shou) varieties. Raw Pu'er ages naturally, with a bitter taste but strong returning sweetness. As the years pass, the liquor deepens and the taste becomes more mellow. Ripe Pu'er undergoes artificial pile fermentation, resulting in a mellow, smooth taste with a pronounced aged aroma — it can be enjoyed right away. The price range for Pu'er is enormous, from a few dozen RMB per cake to tens of thousands. Good Pu'er (ancient tree, single-origin, famous mountain产区) costs 500-5000 RMB per cake (357g). Dayi, Xiaguan, and Zhongcha are major Pu'er producers with guaranteed quality. For daily consumption, choosing Dayi or Xiaguan's entry-level raw or ripe Pu'er, at 200-500 RMB per cake, is excellent.
Liubao Tea: A specialty of Wuzhou, Guangxi, with a unique betel nut aroma and cellar flavor. Liubao tea is warming in nature, effective for digestion and cutting grease, and is very popular in the Guangdong-Guangxi region. Good Liubao tea costs 300-1000 RMB/jin.
Many tea packages have grade labels, but the grading systems differ completely between tea categories — this is a common pitfall for beginners.
| Tea Type | Grading System | Common Labels | Grade Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Tea (Longjing) | By origin + picking time | Pre-Qingming Special Grade/Grade 1/Grade 2 | Pre-Qingming first pick > Pre-Qingming > Pre-Grain Rain > Post-Grain Rain; core area > first-level area > Zhejiang Longjing |
| Oolong (Tieguanyin) | Composite score of appearance, liquor, aroma, taste | Special Grade/Grade 1/Grade 2/Grade 3 | Special Grade: tightly twisted, sand-green color, prominent orchid fragrance, lasting through 7 infusions |
| Black Tea (Keemun) | By appearance, tenderness, color, aroma, taste, liquor | Special Tribute/Special Grade/Grade 1/Grade 2 | Special Tribute (highest): fine, tight, golden tips visible, high Keemun fragrance |
| Pu'er Tea | By raw material grade (numeric recipe code) | 7542/7572/8582 etc. | First 2 digits = recipe year, 3rd digit = material grade (smaller = higher), 4th digit = factory code |
| White Tea | By plucking standard | Baihao Yinzhen > Bai Mudan > Gongmei > Shoumei | All buds > 1 bud 1-2 leaves > 1 bud 2-3 leaves > all leaves |
In simple terms: For green tea, prioritize picking time and origin. For Oolong and black tea, look at the grade label (Special Grade is best). For Pu'er, focus on the brand and recipe code. For white tea, identify the variety name. Pay attention to this information every time you buy tea, and you'll gradually develop your own judgment.
Like wine, tea is extremely dependent on origin and terroir. Altitude, soil, climate, and picking time all significantly affect tea quality and flavor. China's four major tea regions are: Jiangnan (Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, etc.), South China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, etc.), Southwest (Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, etc.), and Jiangbei (Henan, Shaanxi, Shandong, etc.). Generally, high-altitude regions (above 800m) produce tea with richer internal qualities, more elegant aroma, and better returning sweetness, because mountain mist and large temperature differences slow tea plant growth, allowing more accumulation of internal compounds.
For example: Even for Longjing, the quality and price differ greatly between the West Lake core area (Shifeng, Longjing Village), the Qiantang area (along the Qiantang River), and the Yuezhou area (Shaoxing). Likewise for Tieguanyin, tea from Anxi's Gande Town and the high-altitude Xianghua Township is generally superior to that from low-altitude areas. The same variety can have completely different flavors in different origins — this can only be appreciated through extensive tasting and comparison.
For green tea and black tea, the picking season is one of the most important quality indicators.
Pre-Qingming Tea (picked before Qingming Festival): The tea is at its most tender, with the most buds. It's rich in internal compounds but lower in polyphenols, resulting in a fresh, sweet taste, low astringency, and good returning sweetness. Pre-Qingming tea has very low yields and the highest prices. The first-pick pre-Qingming harvest of famous green teas like Longjing, Biluochun, and Maojian represents the pinnacle of tea products.
Pre-Grain Rain Tea (picked before Guyu/Grain Rain): The leaves are slightly larger and more robust, with higher polyphenol content, resulting in a more concentrated taste and stronger tea energy. Pre-Grain Rain tea offers excellent value — its price is only 1/3 to 1/2 of pre-Qingming tea, yet the taste and aroma are still very good. For daily drinking, pre-Grain Rain tea is actually the most suitable choice — good quality without being too expensive.
Spring Tea vs. Autumn Tea: Spring tea (March-May) has the best quality, having accumulated nutrients over the winter, resulting in the richest internal qualities. Autumn tea (September-October) is the next best, but for some Oolong teas (like Tieguanyin), autumn tea quality can even surpass spring tea, giving rise to the saying "spring water, autumn aroma" — spring tea has a more mellow taste, while autumn tea has a more elevated aroma. Summer tea (June-August) has the worst quality, with a bitter, astringent taste and thin aroma, typically used for low-end teas or tea bags.
The best time to buy green tea is when the new harvest arrives in March-May — buy once for the whole year. Oolong tea is not seasonally restricted, but the new spring tea (released in May) and autumn tea (released in October) have the best taste and aroma. For Pu'er and white tea, the season doesn't matter — age is the key factor. Black tea is also available year-round, but spring tea generally has better quality.
Tea is extremely sensitive to light, moisture, oxygen, and odors. Improper storage can cause even the best tea to deteriorate rapidly within weeks. Different tea categories have different preservation requirements.
A practical tip: Buy a dedicated airtight tea container (ceramic jar, tin can, or food-grade aluminum foil bag), portion the tea into small packs, and take out one pack at a time. This avoids repeatedly opening a large package and exposing the entire batch to air. Good tea deserves proper storage.
Below are the tea brands I've purchased, drunk, and come to trust over the years, recommended by category and budget level.
| Brand | Main Categories | Recommended Products | Price Range | Reason for Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bama Tea | All categories (Tieguanyin core) | Saizhenzhu Tieguanyin, Anxi Tieguanyin | 200-2000 RMB | Stable Tieguanyin quality, stores nationwide, convenient online/offline purchasing, suitable for gifting and personal drinking |
| Zhuyeqing Tea | Green tea (Zhuyeqing core) | Lundao Grade Zhuyeqing, Pinwei Grade Zhuyeqing | 500-5000 RMB | Benchmark Sichuan green tea brand, strict quality control; Lundao Grade represents top Chinese green tea |
| Tenfu Tea | All categories | Tieguanyin, Longjing, ripe Pu'er | 100-1000 RMB | National chain brand, stable quality, transparent pricing, good value for entry-level and mid-range products |
| Xiaoguan Tea | All categories (premium positioning) | Xiaoguan Jin Junmei, Xiaoguan Longjing | 500-2000 RMB (per can) | Beautiful packaging, consistent quality, ideal for gifting; lower value for money (premium is mainly in the packaging) |
| Dayi Pu'er | Pu'er tea | 7542 raw Pu'er, 7572 ripe Pu'er | 200-5000 RMB/cake | Leading Pu'er brand, benchmark classic recipes, strong value retention, suitable for collecting and drinking |
Personal Experience with Each Brand:
Bama Tea's Saizhenzhu Tieguanyin (580 RMB/250g) is the Tieguanyin I drink most often. It's the rich-fragrance type, well-roasted, mellow on entry with a toasted rice aroma, and a good returning sweetness. Its quality is much more stable than other brands' Tieguanyin at the same price. Bama's stores offer free tastings — I recommend trying before buying.
Zhuyeqing's Lundao grade green tea (2000 RMB/100g) is one of the best green teas I've ever had — flat, smooth leaves, emerald green color, a pronounced chestnut aroma when brewed, and a fresh, brisk, sweet taste. It's expensive, but the quality is genuinely excellent. For daily drinking, the Pinwei grade (600 RMB/100g) offers better value.
Tenfu Tea's advantage lies in its wide distribution and transparent pricing. Their entry-level to mid-range products are all worth buying. Their Longjing (400 RMB/250g) is a suitable daily staple — although not from the West Lake产区, the quality is fair for the price.
Xiaoguan Tea is mainly for gifting — nice packaging, consistent quality. For personal drinking, the markup is too high; the same money can buy better products from Bama or Tenfu.
Dayi Pu'er's 7542 raw Pu'er (about 300 RMB/cake) and 7572 ripe Pu'er (about 250 RMB/cake) are essential courses for all Pu'er beginners. These two recipes offer stable quality, reasonable prices, and high market recognition. Buying Dayi Pu'er is generally safe.
My tea-drinking experience can be roughly divided into four stages. The first stage was during college — tea meant Lipton tea bags, brewed with sugar, just for quenching thirst. The second stage was during my first two years of work, when I started exploring domestic bagged teas (like Lipton's Yellow Label and Chinese Style series) and gradually discovered the difference between the tea dust in bags and whole-leaf tea. The third stage began when a Fujian colleague took me to drink Tieguanyin — I used a gaiwan for the first time, experienced "seven infusions with lingering fragrance" for the first time, and was instantly captivated. From then on, I began systematically drinking Oolong teas, moving from Tieguanyin to rock tea, and then to Dancong. The fourth stage, over the past five years, has involved exploring raw Pu'er and high-end green teas, deepening my understanding of tea, and beginning to appreciate origin, vintage, and storage.
Looking back on this journey, my biggest takeaway is: You don't need to start at the top tier. From ordinary to excellent, from simple to complex — each stage has its own pleasures. The most important thing is not how expensive the tea is, but finding a taste you love and sticking with it. If you're just starting, my advice is to begin with Oolong tea (Tieguanyin or rock tea) or black tea (Keemun or Zhengshan Xiaozhong) — these two types have the most approachable flavors, the most variety, and are the easiest to enjoy. Green tea, while fresh and brisk, can be noticeably bitter for beginners and requires some time to adapt to and appreciate.
If you'd like to learn more about tea selection details and brewing methods, the following articles are worth a look.