Tea origins

Ancient wild-tree Shan Tuyet — thick downy buds with a sweet, mineral, honeyed, distinctly wild cup.

Korea's oldest tea — wild seed-grown jaerae bushes giving a nutty, savoury-sweet green tea.

Korea's green-tea capital — iconic terraced fields producing fresh, grassy-sweet nokcha.

Sweet, brothy, umami-rich green tea from the albino Bai Ye No.1 cultivar.

Single-bush oolongs that mimic flower and fruit aromas — orchid, honey-orchid, almond.

Fuller, warmer, fruitier white tea than Fuding — apricot and honey with real body.

Home of Fo Shou — a big citron-fragrant oolong with a thick, soft body.

Taiwan's home of black tea — Ruby 18's natural cinnamon-mint over a smooth, honeyed body.

Southern Fujian county that produces Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy), arguably the most internationally famous Chinese oolong. Both moder…

Northeastern Fujian coastal county that defines Chinese white tea production. Silver Needle, Bai Mu Dan, and aged white teas all originate h…

The Yellow Mountain region of Anhui. Origin of Huang Shan Mao Feng (Yellow Mountain Fur Peak) — one of China's ten famous teas.

Small island in Dongting Lake, Hunan, producing Junshan Yinzhen — the most famous yellow tea. One of China's rarest tea categories.

Anhui county producing Keemun (Qimen) — the defining Chinese black tea. Distinctive "Keemun aroma" includes orchid and wine-like notes witho…

Isolated village within the Wuyi mountain protected reserve. Origin of the original Lapsang Souchong — the world's first black tea, smoked o…

One of three traditional Yunnan pu-erh-producing regions. Contains Bingdao and Xigui — among the most sought-after gushu pu-erh material.

Yunnan prefecture in Xishuangbanna. Contains some of the most legendary pu-erh mountains: Bulang, Banzhang, Bada. Also home of the famous Me…

The Xihu (West Lake) area of Hangzhou. Origin of Long Jing (Dragonwell) — among the most famous Chinese green teas. Government-protected geo…

The Wuyi mountains of northern Fujian. Origin of yancha (rock tea), the roasted oolong style defined by mineral terroir. Also birthplace of …

The ancestral home of pu-erh tea. Yunnan's large-leaf assamica varietals and ancient gushu trees produce the most age-worthy teas in the wor…

Northeast Indian lowland tea-producing region. Largest tea-producing region in India by volume. Foundation of breakfast-style black teas wor…

West Bengal hill region producing the most editorially distinctive Indian tea. First flush is delicate and floral; second flush carries the …

Southern Indian highland tea-producing region in the Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu. Year-round production with premium winter flush.

Japan's southernmost main tea-producing prefecture. Volcanic soil, earliest harvest in Japan, robust sencha character.

Japan's largest tea-producing prefecture by volume. Defines everyday Japanese sencha character; home of fukamushi (deep-steamed) sencha styl…

The historic heart of Japanese tea, in Kyoto Prefecture. Origin of Japanese matcha tradition; world-reference for ceremonial-grade matcha an…

Kenya's largest tea-producing region in the Rift Valley highlands. Volume-dominant globally; specialty orthodox tea is emerging as Kenyan se…

Sri Lanka's highest tea-producing region. Delicate, almost Darjeeling-like cup character; the most refined Ceylon tea.

Sri Lankan highland region producing the most aromatically distinctive Ceylon tea. The dry-season "Uva quality" lots are sought-after specia…

Taiwanese high-mountain oolong region in the southern central mountains. Less extreme altitude than Lishan; more accessible price tier and c…

The defining traditional Taiwanese oolong region. Lugu Township in Nantou produces the canonical roasted-style Dong Ding oolong that became …

Taiwan's most prestigious high-mountain oolong region, in the central mountains above 1800m. Sharp altitude produces dense, complex tea.

Taiwanese high-mountain oolong region in Nantou. Cup character sits between Lishan austerity and Alishan accessibility.