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Cold-brewed tea is just perfect for hot summer days. It’s been crazy hot in Guangdong lately, and I start sweating after barely moving. I’ve been really into different cold-brewed teas lately, and Gardenia Oolong has been my favorite so far. After cold brewing, the gardenia aroma is really strong, and the tea tastes lightly sweet with a slight cooling feeling.

I put it in the fridge to cold brew overnight. In the morning, after pouring out the tea, I add water again. Even on the second brew, the gardenia aroma is still really strong.

I discovered this herbal tea, called Lithocarpus litseifolius sweet tea, quite by chance.

During a trip, I came across someone selling a herbal tea called “sweet tea.” I was curious about what it tasted like and wanted to give it a try, but for various reasons, I ended up leaving without buying it. Later, when I was researching different Chinese herbal teas and looking for more options to explore, I suddenly remembered this tea again.

It is made from the young leaves of Lithocarpus litseifolius, a plant that naturally contains sweet compounds. The flavor surprised me. It tastes somewhat similar to black tea, but with a more noticeable sweetness. The texture is smooth and gentle, with a unique sweet aroma. I heard it was processed using techniques similar to those used in black tea production.

I have also tried Lithocarpus litseifolius sweet tea made with green tea processing methods. Interestingly, that version had a much stronger sweetness. The longer it was steeped, the sweeter it became.

Honestly, I prefer the version made with black tea processing. Maybe that is because I enjoy the flavor profile of black tea more.

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This is always an interesting topic, so I decided to try it with a 2003 aged ripe Pu-erh, which is known for being quite durable through multiple infusions. I used 5g of tea with a 110mL gaiwan.

In the end, I steeped it 18 times. Surprisingly, the last cup still had a soft and balanced flavor. It was much lighter compared with the first and second infusions, of course, but I felt there was still room for a few more steeps. Unfortunately, I ran out of enough containers to keep collecting the tea soup, haha.

Throughout the whole process, the flavor gradually faded in a very steady way. There was no sudden drop or moment where the tea completely lost its character.

However, not every type of tea can handle this many steeps. Generally speaking, aged teas and teas made from more mature leaves tend to be more resistant to repeated brewing. Even within the same category of tea, the number of infusions can vary depending on factors like the supplier, production year, tea cultivar, and grade.

For me, one of the joys of brewing Chinese tea in the traditional way is noticing the subtle changes in the color, aroma, and taste from one infusion to the next. Simply enjoying the tea in the cup is always the most delightful moment.

When brewing tea, have you ever wondered why oolong tea is usually brewed with boiling water, while green tea is often brewed at a lower temperature? What actually happens if we use cooler water for oolong tea?

I decided to do a small comparison test to see how much difference the water temperature really makes. Chose three oolong teas with different flavor profiles and roasting levels: Lightly fragrant Tie Guan Yin, Mi Lan Xiang Dan Cong, and Da Hong Pao.

For each tea, I brewed them with both 80°C (176°F) and 100°C (212°F) water. Other brewing parameters were kept exactly the same.

The results were quite interesting. All three oolongs brewed at 80°C showed similar changes: weaker aroma and a thinner, less expressive tea soup.

Here are my notes:

1. Light Aroma Tie Guan Yin

• 100°C brewing: The tea had a fresh and vibrant aroma. The tea soup was light and smooth, but still had good body. The finish carried a gentle sweetness.
• 80°C brewing: The aroma was much less noticeable. The tea tasted more watery, with only a slight sweetness appearing at the end.

2. Mi Lan Xiang Phoenix Dan Cong

• 100°C brewing: The honey-like aroma and floral fragrance blended beautifully together. The aroma was rich and long-lasting. The tea had a full mouthfeel with more layers and complexity.
• 80°C brewing: The honey aroma was still noticeable, but the tea soup felt much thinner. It even had a slight astringency.

3. Da Hong Pao

• 100°C brewing: The roasted aroma was the main character. The tea soup was rich, full-bodied, smooth, and left a long-lasting aftertaste.
• 80°C brewing: There was no obvious aroma, and the overall flavor became much lighter and less complete.

So why does this happen?

We can actually see the reason by looking at the brewed leaves of tightly rolled teas like Tie Guan Yin. During the first infusion, the leaves brewed at 80°C were still tightly curled and had not fully opened. Without enough heat, the leaves could not expand properly, making it harder for the flavor compounds inside to be released quickly.

Oolong tea is also usually made from more mature leaves compared with young buds and leaves used for some other teas. These mature leaves contain richer internal compounds. In addition, oolong tea often uses a higher leaf-to-water ratio and shorter infusion times, so higher temperatures help extract the soluble compounds more efficiently.

Another important factor is the processing method. Oolong tea goes through more complex steps that create many unique aroma compounds. Some of these aromatic compounds require higher temperatures to be fully released. When the water temperature is too low, only the lighter, more volatile aromas may come out, while the deeper fragrance and characteristic“oolong tea charm” remain hidden.

Have to say, one of my favorite parts of brewing oolong tea is watching the aroma slowly fill the room.

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Shaking(Yao Qing, 摇青) is one of the most important steps in making oolong tea. This is also where most of the tea's oxidation takes place.

As the leaves are repeatedly shaken, they rub and bump against each other. This causes slight damage to the leaf edges, triggering enzymatic oxidation. During this process, tea polyphenols are transformed into compounds such as theaflavins and thearubigins, creating the classic "green leaves with red edges" that oolong is known for.

At the same time, many of the fresh grassy aromas gradually dissipate, while floral, fruity, and honey-like aromas begin to develop and accumulate.

Shaking is never done just once. It alternates with periods of resting, allowing oxidation to continue before the leaves are shaken again. This cycle can last anywhere from several hours to nearly a full day. In general, more rounds of shaking and longer processing lead to a higher degree of oxidation and a different balance of flavor and aroma compounds.

Today, tea makers mainly use either hand-shaking or machine-shaking. Hand-shaking gives the tea maker finer control over the intensity and timing of each round, but it also demands much greater skill, experience, and physical effort. In the hands of an experienced tea master, this careful control can make a real difference in the final quality of the tea.

This is a flavor wheel of oolong tea that I organized a while ago. It simply breaks oolong tea down into three main categories, and I hope it can help beginners.

That said, it doesn’t include some of the more unique styles like Oriental Beauty. Those teas are a bit of their own thing, both in flavor profile and in how they’re made, so they don’t really fit neatly into this framework.

The tea maker is shaping Tie Guan Yin during a step called "bao rou包揉"(cloth rolling).

Freshly processed tea leaves are wrapped in a cloth bag and repeatedly compressed and rolled by a machine. As pressure builds, the soft, moist leaves gradually curl into the tight, pellet-like shape that Tie Guan Yin is known for.

This process does more than shape the leaves. The pressure and friction gently break down part of the leaf's cell walls, allowing some of the tea juices to coat the surface of the leaves.

That lays the foundation for the final roasting stage. When the tea is brewed later, these compounds dissolve into the water more quickly, giving the liquor a richer body and helping the leaves hold up through multiple infusions.

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A gaiwan may look simple:

a lid, a bowl, and a saucer.

But its shape can change the way your tea brews.

A wider opening releases heat faster.

A deeper body holds aroma better.

A rounded shape feels more balanced in the hand.

A folded rim can make pouring easier.

So different gaiwan shapes are not just about style.

They affect heat, aroma, pouring speed, and even how comfortable it feels to use.

Some shapes are better for delicate teas like green tea or white tea.

Some are better for fuller teas like Wuyi rock tea, black tea, or aged white tea.

And some simply bring more beauty and cultural meaning to the tea table.

From Yuanrong to Douli, Zheyao, Lotus Leaf, and more — each gaiwan carries both function and Chinese teaware aesthetics.

Which gaiwan shape would you choose for your tea table?

Lately, I've really been enjoying cold brewing tea in my insulated travel mug. Pour the cold-brewed tea into the cup. Since it holds the temperature so well, the tea stays nice and cold for hours, which is perfect when I'm working or out and about. If I toss in a few ice cubes, it stays chilled even longer.

The best part is how effortless it feels. Once I'm almost done, I just refill it with more water and ice, and the same leaves keep going for another round. It's become one of my favorite ways to drink tea during the summer.

Oolong tea probably has the widest flavor range of any tea category. Different regions, different mountains, different roasting levels, oxidation levels, cultivars, and processing styles can make two oolong teas taste completely unrelated to each other.

For beginners, this often becomes overwhelming. Where do you even start? Which type is actually right for you?

That’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. So instead of using complicated tea terminology, I wanted to share a much simpler flavor-based path for exploring oolong tea.

1. Find Your Flavor Preference First

A good starting point is comparing 1-2 classic oolong styles side by side and paying attention to which direction naturally appeals to you.

In terms of flavor, Chinese oolong teas can roughly be divided into three styles:

(1) Fresh & Floral

These teas feel bright, refreshing, and highly aromatic, with lifted floral aromas and a clean finish. They tend to feel lively rather than heavy.

Some classic examples are Baozhong, Light Aroma Tieguanyin, and Jin Xuan oolong.

(2) High Aroma & Balanced

These teas are more expressive and intense aromatically, usually showing floral, honey, or fruity aromas. Compared to the first category, they feel fuller, sweeter, and more layered, but still not overly heavy.

Classic examples include Mi Lan Xiang Dan Cong and Ya Shi Xiang Dan Cong.

(3) Rich & Full-bodied

These teas go through heavier roasting. The aroma is deeper and more restrained, often showing woody, roasted, mineral, or baked aromas. The texture is thicker, richer, and more contemplative.

Da Hong Pao is probably the most famous example.

2. Explore More Teas Within the Same Style

Once you figure out the general direction you enjoy, exploring becomes much easier.

Instead of randomly buying teas and hoping for the best, you can start comparing similar flavors. And gradually discover the tea you personally enjoy most.

Even among oolong teas with a similar style, there can still be differences in aroma intensity and richness of flavor.

(1) Fresh & Floral Style

These teas are usually lighter in oxidation and roasting. Dry leaves are often greener, and the liquor tends to be pale yellow or greenish.

Taiwanese high-aroma oolongs and light-aroma Minnan oolongs are some of the best examples of this style.

You can continue exploring teas from these two regions, such as light aroma Bai Ya Qi Lan, Yongchun Fo Shou, Mao Xie oolong, Dong Ding oolong, and others.

(2) High Aroma & Balanced Style

These teas usually have medium oxidation and roasting. The liquor is often orange-yellow, while the dry leaves appear darker green or nearly black.

Oolongs from Guangdong and traditionally roasted Minnan oolongs are some of the most classic examples of this style.

You can explore teas from these two regions, such as different aroma types of Phoenix Dan Cong, traditional roasted Tieguanyin, Ling Tou Dan Cong, and more.

(3) Rich & Full-bodied Style

These teas tend to have medium-to-high oxidation and the strongest roasting levels. The liquor is usually orange-red or brownish, and the dry leaves are dark brown or black.

Northern Fujian oolongs are the classic representatives here.

Beyond Da Hong Pao, Shui Xian, Rou Gui, and other Wuyi rock teas are excellent examples, along with older styles like Jian'ou Ai Jiao oolong.

3. Going Deeper

If you want to explore oolong tea more deeply and truly understand what creates the differences in flavor, you can continue by focusing on one variable at a time, such as soil, elevation, season, roast level, oxidation level, cultivar, and more. At the same time, this also requires more developed tasting skills and experience.

Finally, that said, Oriental Beauty oolong isn’t included here because its flavor profile is so distinctive and unique that it doesn’t fit neatly into these categories.

In my opinion, starting with flavor preference first makes the whole journey much easier and more enjoyable. But that doesn’t mean other flavor styles are any worse. Trying different kinds of oolong once in a while often leads to some pleasant surprises.

Have you ever brewed green tea and noticed lots of tiny floating hairs in the liquor? Or opened a bag of tea and found a thin fuzzy layer stuck to the inside that almost looks like mold? Is it bad?

In many cases, the opposite is true. What you’re seeing are tiny hairs naturally shed from young tea buds, known in Chinese as “cha hao” (茶毫).

Some tea varieties naturally develop a layer of soft white fuzz on their buds when they’re young. As the leaves mature, the hairs gradually fall away, and the leaves become smooth. Since many green teas are made from very young buds and leaves, these fine hairs are still present during processing.

While the tea is being shaped and dried, the leaves constantly rub against each other and against the processing equipment. Some of the tiny hairs detach and stick to the surface of the tea, while others gather together into small off-white fuzzy clumps.

Before packaging, the more obvious clumps are usually removed during sorting.

Others, because of static electricity, some of these hairs can also stick to the inside of the tea bag or package, creating a fuzzy layer that can easily be mistaken for mold.

As long as you don’t have a specific allergy to tiny hairs, they’re generally completely safe to drink.

An easy way to tell the difference between tea hairs and actual mold is simply to brew the tea. If the aroma smells fresh and pleasant, without any sour, musty, or damp smell, the tea is usually perfectly fine.

Over the past few days, I’ve been trying different fresh Tieguanyin samples from tea farmers across Anxi, hoping to find one that feels right for everyday drinking.

Some teas greet you with floral aroma right from the first sip. Others start beautifully in the first infusion, but by the second steep, a strong grassy note suddenly appears.

Even within the same light-aroma style Tieguanyin, the processing makes a huge difference.

When the shaking process( oxidation ) is done a little longer, the aroma becomes noticeably richer and more lasting. The tea soup also feels fuller, with better endurance across multiple infusions.

On the other hand, teas with shorter shaking processing often lose their aroma quite quickly after the first steep. The grassy character becomes more obvious, and the tea feels less durable overall.

I also learned how much sun-withering can affect the final aroma. A few samples smelled softer and slightly muted because they were made during rainy weather and withered indoors instead of under sunlight. From what I’ve heard, Tieguanyin made with proper sun-withering usually has a much brighter, more expressive, and longer-lasting aroma.

Finding the right tea really is a long process. Every sample feels a bit like opening a blind box, but that’s also what makes it fun.