A Chinese-tea encyclopedia · since the leaf was medicine
The cup is old. The questions are not.
Seven classes of leaf, one mountain country, and the slow craft that decides what arrives in the cup. Read it like a friend who steeps, not a textbook.
7
classes of leaf
130+
varieties indexed
1
country · china only
0
blends, ever
The seven classes
Every leaf begins with how it was stopped, or let to turn.
Green to dark, the seven classes are not seven plants but seven decisions made at the wok and the drying mat. Start anywhere.
Featured varieties
Start with a leaf people argue about.
Eight teas across the seven classes — each with its terroir, harvest, a tasting note and a brewing card you can follow tonight.
The community
Tea is better with company.
A slow letter, a shared table, and the wider constellation of THE TEA — encyclopedia, atlas, ware and more.