Tea is an exceptional drink and, apart from water, is the most consumed beverage in the world¹. However many people I meet – especially in Western countries – have never actually had a properly prepared cup of tea.

A tea bag in tepid water

Does the image to the right look familiar to you? It’s a picture of what I lovingly call “American tea.” An old tea bag, served alongside tepid water. If this is the only tea you’ve ever had then you’re missing out on a world of great tea. Many people know that the best tea doesn’t come in a bag, but most “loose leaf” tea is only marginally better.

Whole leaf Yunnan Dian Hong “Gold Tips” (云南滇红金芽) tea

Tea can be better. Fresh, whole leaf, prepared properly. The best tea uses the whole leaf of the Camellia sinensis tea plant and that’s what this site focuses on: whole leaf tea. Do you want to learn more? Start with Beyond the bag: why whole leaf is better.

While all tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the endless variety of growing and processing methods means there are literally thousands of different styles and flavours of tea. If you’re interested in some of the best, check out the Featured Teas section where each month a new tea will be featured.

Freshly picked tea leaves – the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant

You’ll find here an obvious bias towards Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese) tea, because I have lived in Asia and extensively travelled to taste of the best teas in the region. Thought while many of the world’s best and most expensive teas come from China, I’ll still try to explore great teas from India, Sri Lanka, and beyond.

Thank you for visiting, and be sure to share your thoughts and questions by leaving a comment.

1. Alan Macfarlane; Iris Macfarlane (2004). The Empire of Tea. The Overlook Press. p. 32. ISBN 1-58567-493-1.