How to Choose a Tea

With over 3000 varieties of tea, how do you choose teas that will appeal to you? This section should be particularly helpful to those who are new to tea, but even long time tea drinkers may find some new information or become inspired to try a new tea.

For newcomers to tea, we recommend taking our Tea Interview

1. Are you looking for low, or no-caffeine beverages? If yes, go to our white teas or herbal sections. If no, go to the next question.

2. Are you interested in real tea, or herbals? All real tea comes from the same plant, camellia sinensis, this includes: black tea, oolong (wulong) tea, green tea. Earl Grey, English Breakfast etc. Things like peppermint or chamomile come from different plants, not the tea plant, and thus actually contain no tea, and are commonly called herbal drinks.

If you are interested in herbals click here.
If you are interested in real tea go to the next question.

3. Do you have any idea as to what kind of tea you are interested in? If yes, go to that type of tea in the drop down menu under Shop for Tea or use the Search function to go directly to that type of tea. If no, go to the next question.

4. Are you looking for a full-bodied tea? If yes, go to the Black tea section.. If no, go the next question.

5. Are you looking for a light cup? If yes, visit the Green tea or White tea section. If no, go to the next question.

6. Are you looking for an in-between cup (in terms of strength)? If yes, visit the oolong (wulong) section..

7. Are you looking for a straight tea (nothing but tea), or are you looking for a scented/flavored tea , i.e. tea that has had some other taste added (for example: Earl Grey, or black tea with peach, or jasmine, or green tea with lemon etc.)
If you are looking for a flavored tea, go to the appropriate tea under Shop for Tea.
If you are looking for a straight tea, either go to the appropriate tea under Shop for Tea, or go to then next question.

If you are interested in straight black teas, consider the following:

The home-made bread test:

The apple test:

The beer test:

The cheese test:

The music test:

Do you want to try utterly unique and exotic teas?
Try Puerh or, Red Flower Jasmine

Are you interested in Green teas?
If you prefer sweet try Precious Eyebrows or Jasmine
If you prefer earthy try Gunpowder Temple of Heaven
If you prefer a taste of the sea try Sencha Uji
Or try our Green Tea Sampler