Map of China

China

Wikipedia: China | Official Government Website: english.gov.cn 
Updated: Oct. 3, 2017 

Browse Teas From China (1667) - Read Reviews (1269)

Table of contents:
About China | Tea-Producing Regions of China | Styles of Tea Produced in China | Best (Top-Rated) Chinese Teas

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About China


Clickable map of Chinese provinces; provinces that produce tea or herbs used in herbal tea are highlighted in green.


China, known in Chinese as Zhōngguó (中国), meaning "central country", is one of the most important tea-producing countries. The written history of tea consumption in China goes back longer than in any other country, thousands of years. In ancient China, tea was originally used as a medicine; over hundreds of years it slowly shifted towards being viewed first as a tonic, and then as a beverage as it is today.

China, together with India, is one of the two largest producers and consumers of tea. In 2007, China produced over 30% of the world's production of tea, almost 1.2 million tons of tea out of the world's almost 3.9 million tons. Most of the tea produced in China is consumed in China, although tea is also an important export good for China.

A tea plantation near Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Steep topography is the norm in many of China's tea-growing regions. Photo by Shizhao (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY 1.0.
A myriad of styles of tea originated in China, which produces and consumes black, green, white, oolong, and pu-erh teas, as well as the less well-known yellow teas. Chinese teas are astoundingly diverse, as within each of these broad types of tea, there are countless different styles, both ancient and modern. China has also come to produce styles of tea that originated elsewhere, such as sencha, which originated in Japan.

Tea tends to be produced mostly in the provinces towards the south and east of China, where the climate is humid and ranges from tropical to subtropical, although teas are grown commercially as far west as Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, and as far north as Shandong province.

Tea-Producing Regions of China

Styles of Tea Produced in China

This is a selection, not an exhaustive listing, of the styles of tea most commonly produced in China.

Best Chinese Teas

The notion of the "best" Chinese teas is subjective, because different people have different tastes. We present the most often-rated and highest-rated teas produced in China, and allow you to draw your own conclusions.

Most Often-Rated Teas

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Prince of Wales

Brand:Twinings
Style:Black Tea
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
18
9 Ratings
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Golden Monkey Black Tea

Brand:Teavana
Style:Golden Monkey
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
20
9 Ratings
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Tamayokucha

Brand:Two Leaves and a Bud
Style:Tamaryokucha (Guricha)
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Sachet
10
8 Ratings
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Emperor's Clouds and Mist Green Tea

Brand:Teavana
Style:Clouds & Mist (Yun Wu)
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
76
8 Ratings
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Green Ginger

Brand:Tazo Tea
Style:Flavored Green Tea
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
16
8 Ratings

Top-Rated Chinese Teas

Picture of Wuyi Mountain Big Red Robe

Wuyi Mountain Big Red Robe

Brand:Verdant Tea
Style:Da Hong Pao
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
99
3 Ratings
Picture of Wild Snow Sprout Tea

Wild Snow Sprout Tea

Brand:Wild Tea Qi
Style:Green Tea
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
98
3 Ratings
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Superfine Anxi Qing Xiang TieGuanYin Oolong Tea

Brand:TeaVivre
Style:Tie Guan Yin
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
97
3 Ratings
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Bi Luo Chun Green Tea (Pi Lo Chun)

Brand:TeaVivre
Style:Bi Luo Chun
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
97
5 Ratings
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2006 Fengqing Raw Pu-erh Tea Tuocha

Brand:TeaVivre
Style:Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Compressed
97
3 Ratings

Browse All Chinese Teas (1667)

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