Complete Guide to Brewing Chinese Tea

The Mid-Autumn Festival is also referred to as the Mooncake Festival or the Moon Festival. In Chinese culture, the full moon symbolizes completeness and family reunion. The festival is based on the legend of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess in Chinese mythology.

During this time families and friends come together to bond as they eat mooncakes, and fruits, and drink tea. They also celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival by watching mesmerizing lantern displays. This explains why it may also be referred to as the Lantern Festival. The day after the China Mid-Autumn Festival is a public holiday and most schools and businesses remain closed.

Different types of Chinese Tea

Tea is China’s national drink – for thousands of years, the Chinese have practiced and maintained the art of tea cultivation, preparation, and consumption. Its popularity may be attributed to its numerous health benefits.

Let’s look at the different types of Chinese tea:

• Green tea

Green tea has been enjoyed in China for several thousand years. It is the oldest, most popular type of tea, and the best choice for cleansing and slimming.

Made from new shoots of the plant that get dried and processed, it has the highest number of antioxidants and tannins compared to other teas. The reason behind this is that the shoots are plucked and dried the on same day, hence minimal oxidation takes place.

• Yellow tea

This tea has a characteristic light golden color, distinctive aroma similar to red tea, mildly sweet flavor, and smooth mouthfeel. It’s produced the same as green tea but has an additional step called sealed yellowing which involves encasing and steaming the leaves to increase oxidation and remove the grassy taste and smell. The damp tea leaves are then allowed to dry naturally.

This tea was served to emperors because yellow was the traditional imperial color.

• White tea

This tea is the unfermented and uncured version of green tea. It’s quickly dried producing a light color and delicate flavor because the leaves are not crushed or rolled. It’s among the rarest and most expensive because the leaves and buds that are used are only harvested at the dawn of spring, once every year. The young tea buds are picked while leaves are still tightly enclosed and still have the silvery downy hair intact.

• Oolong tea

This is also referred to as blue tea and sometimes Black Dragon Tea. It has the complexity of red tea and the complexity of green tea. This explains why it’s sometimes called “green leaves with a red edge”

Oolong tea is made from blended green and red tea, boasting the best flavors and aromatic qualities of both. Oxidation and firing result in its characteristic dark color.

• Black tea

This tea is made from the fresh, new shoots of the tea plant. The leaves are withered, rolled, and crushed, then allowed to oxidize fully. The last processing step involves firing the leaves in an oven to stop further oxidation. The resulting brew comes in a reddish dark brown hue.

How to choose the right Chinese tea

It’s quite clear China has an utterly rich tea culture. People love it because of its refreshing taste that evokes a feeling of calmness and mindfulness. How do you go about choosing Chinese tea like a local? Here are some of the things you should look out for:

1. Color is a huge factor to consider. Choose a tea with visual appeal
2. How the tea smells. Each type of tea carries its own fragrance so go for what you like.
3. The taste. Naturally, quality tea is fresh and strong but not bitter.
4. Look for a consistent shape in the dried tea leaves
5. Tea clarity. Is it brilliant, dull, clear, or hazy? The clarity in tea shows the presence of impurities

Tips and Tricks of how to brew Chinese Tea

Chinese tea making is an art and different types of teas have distinctive brewing methods. In this section, we’ll give you a few tips and tricks to make you a pro at brewing Chinese tea:

1. Heat the water until it boils first. Usually, the temperature depends on the tenderness of the tea leaves.
2. If possible, use spring water. This enhances the taste and minimizes the chances of contamination
3. Always make the tea right before it’s drunk. If you make it beforehand and store it, some vitamins and aromatic oils could easily get lost, changing the flavor.
4. Good quality tea is brewed thrice, sometimes even up to six times.

Gift Hampers from GHHK Containing Tea Perfect for the Mid-Autumn Festival

At GHHK we have a wide range of hampers that come with complimentary message cards and can be customized with a personalized logo or ribbon at an extra cost. This makes them perfect for different occasions. We have put together a list of thoughtful gift hampers but you can still browse through our website for more variety.

Note that while we offer free delivery to Hong Kong metropolitan areas, delivery for Mid-Autumn Festival hampers will only be available from 22^nd Aug to Sept 9^th, 2022.

• Deluxe Fruit Hamper with Tea & Treats

This luxury gift basket comprises tea bags and fresh fruits such as apples, kiwis, oranges, pears, citrus leiocarpa, green pears, grapes, dragon fruit, avocado, grapefruit, pomelo, pineapple, and melon. These will bring joy to your friends and family.

This fruit hamper includes:

• Seasonal fruits
• Harney & Sons Tea
• NuGo Nutrition Smarte Protein Bar, 50g
• Gift Hampers Hong Kong Exclusive Weave Basket
  • Small Basket(10 – 12 x fruits): 21.5cm(L) x 32cm(W) x 11.5cm(H)
  • Medium Basket(1 large fruit & 14 – 16 x seasonal fruits): 25.5cm(L) x 37cm(W) x 18cm(H)
  • Large Basket Dimensions(2 large fruits & 20 – 22 x seasonal fruits): 33cm(L) x 44cm(W) x 23cm(H)

• Gold Blossom Japanese/Korean Fruit Gift Box with Tea

Send this fruit gift box to your friends and family to wish them happiness, health, and luck. What makes it an ideal Mid-Autumn gift is that it also contains mooncakes and tea.

This fruit hamper includes:

• Travel Tea Set
• 2 x Gianna Tea Tin, 20g
• The Peninsula Spring Mooncake that’s only available from 5^th-9^th Sept 2022
• Seasonal fruits may include: apples, kiwis, oranges, pears, citrus leiocarpa, green pears, grapes, dragon fruit, avocado, grapefruit, pomelo, pineapple, melon
• Premium fruits may include: Korean pear, Japanese apple, Japanese orin apple, Japanese citrus, Japanese grapes, Yellow dragon fruit, Korean melon, Japanese peach
• GHHK Fabric Gift Box(35cm(L) x 25cm(W) x 15.5cm(H); with 1 large fruit & 13 – 15 x other seasonal fruits)

• Mid-Autumn Mooncake with Tea & Treats

This gift set featuring mooncakes, tea, and chocolates is perfect for the Mid-Autumn Festival. It’s beautifully packaged in a stylish box.

This fruit hamper includes:

• Travel Tea Set
• DIY Lantern Set
• Godiva Carre Collection 72% Dark Chocolate, 16pcs
• Cartwright & Butler Pyramid Tea Bags in Tin, 15x2g
• Gift Hampers Hong Kong Red Festive Gift Box