As several Chinese tea varieties reach their peak harvesting time, we give you a run down of the most common varieties that you'll find at your local tea stores.
TEA
Spring Snail 洞庭碧螺春 (Dòngtíng Bìluóchun)
Classification Green tea
Origin Dongting, Jiangsu
Tasting notes The rolled leaves – which resemble little snails – have a strong grassy smell, and a rather light, refreshing flavour.
Dragon Well 龙井 (Lóngjǐng)
Classification Green tea
Origin Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Tasting notes Flat pan-roasted leaves offer up a slightly sweet, mellow and grassy taste.
White Peony 白牡丹 (Bái mǔdān)
Classification White tea
Origin Fujian
Tasting notes Small, sun-withered leaves give forth a delicate, floral and fragrant flavour.
Iron Goddess 铁观音 (tiě guān yīn)
Classification Oolong tea
Origin Anxi, Fujian
Tasting notes Variations in roasting levels and harvest times give different flavours. Spring yields are highly sought after for their deep fruity taste and sweet finish.
Big Red Robe 大红袍 (Dà Hóng Páo)
Classification Oolong tea
Origin Northern Fujian
Tasting notes A prestigious variety of oolong, with legends dating back to the Ming dynasty.
Lapsang Souchong 正山小种 (Lìshān xiǎo zhǒng)
Classification Black tea
Origin Wuji Mountain, Fujian
Tasting notes Coarse leaves are smoked to create a deep, smooth andsmoky flavour.
Pu’er 普洱 (Pǔěr)
Classification Dark tea
Origin Simao, Yunnan
Tasting notes A fully fermented tea, Pu’er leaves get better with age. Often pressed into bricks or discs, the tea is dark with deep earthy flavours and a pungent soil-like smell.
BUY
Tianshan Tea City is a tea lover’s heaven. With more than 150 stalls spread over the sprawling three-storey complex near Zhongshan Park, it can be a little overwhelming, but if you remain on your guard against overpriced ‘tea tastings’ it’s possible to discover an incredible range of tea varieties.
Number 1051, Yipin Xuan Tea Shop, is one of our favourite stalls, and proprietor Susie Zhang will welcome you warmly into her immaculate stall and share with you the history of Chinese tea. She offers a laminated English translation of all her teas, from green tea with zero fermentation, to Pu’er tea with 100 percent fermentation, and will happily let you taste each as she offers a detailed explanation.
Tianshan Tea City 520 Zhongshan Xi Lu, near Yuping Lu, Changning district.
DRINK
Other than at Tianshan Tea City, where you could spend weeks tasting the huge variety of tea on offer, here are a few other places we enjoy drinking tea around Shanghai.
Tea Funny
Tea Funny’s offerings are playful and imaginative, with things to please both rebel tea drinkers and purists alike. Take a CappuTEAno set (48RMB), a full-bodied South African tea blend with rich coffee notes, served cappuccino style with foamed milk on top – an awesome switch from the usual cup of Joe.
Tea Funny 46 Yongkang Lu, near Jiashan Lu, Xuhui district.
The Langham
The original Langham Hotel in London is famed for its afternoon tea and the Shanghai Langham at Xintiandi continues this grand tradition with over 40 flavours of Wedgwood teas to sup on.
The Langham 99 Madang Lu, near Taicang Lu, Huangpu district.
Song Fang
Located in a 1930s lane house in the former French Concession, Song Fang is a little heaven on the otherwise lively Yongjia Lu. With colourful and eye-catching design, it’s hard not to want to buy everything in the downstairs store. Upstairs on the second or third floor, you can sit back in the comfortable tea salon and taste one of their 70 teas on offer from both China and France.
Song Fang 227 Yongjia Lu, near Shaanxi Nan Lu, Xuhui district.
TWG Tea Salon & Boutique
TWG Tea, was established in Singapore in 2008, with the first TWG Tea Salon & Boutique opening in 2009. Head to the Shanghai branch in IAPM Mall for a flavour of what TWG Tea has on offer.
TWG Tea Salon & Boutique Second floor, IAPM Mall, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Shaanxi Nan Lu, Xuhui district.
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