https://myteaexplorer.com/blog Tea articles from My Tea Explorer: brewing numbers, tea types and origins, buying loose leaf, and where to drink tea in US cities. en-us Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT https://myteaexplorer.com/icons/icon-512.png https://myteaexplorer.com/blog https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-tariffs-prices-2025-2026 https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-tariffs-prices-2025-2026 Plain tea has paid no reciprocal US tariff since Nov 13, 2025. Chinese tea pays 7.5% under Section 301, down from 152.5% in April 2025. Rates and data. Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Data https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/loose-leaf-vs-tea-bags-cost-per-cup https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/loose-leaf-vs-tea-bags-cost-per-cup A Lipton bag is $0.05 a cup and Twinings $0.17. Loose black tea by the pound runs $0.18-$0.28 a cup at 2.5 g. Prices from 6 sellers checked Oct 1, 2026. Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Buying Guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/matcha-grades-ceremonial-vs-culinary https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/matcha-grades-ceremonial-vs-culinary Japan has no legal ceremonial matcha grade. Quality comes from harvest, shading, milling and origin; Kyoto tencha hit 13,972 yen/kg in 2026. Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Buying Guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/cold-brew-tea-ratios https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/cold-brew-tea-ratios Cold brew tea uses 8-12 g of leaf per liter: 4-6 h in the fridge for sencha, 6-8 h for white and oolong, 8-12 h for black. Drink it within 3 days. Sun, 27 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Brewing https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/darjeeling-flushes-explained https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/darjeeling-flushes-explained Darjeeling has four flushes: first (Mar-Apr) floral, second (May-Jun) muscatel, monsoon (Jul-Sep) plain, autumn (Oct-Nov) coppery. Output: 5.6M kg in 2025. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Origins https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/sheng-vs-shou-puer https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/sheng-vs-shou-puer Sheng puer is pressed raw and aged for years; shou is wet-piled about 45 days first. A 357 g shou cake ran $32 and 200 g sheng cakes $36 to $50 on Oct 1, 2026. Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Buying Guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/oolong-oxidation-explained https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/oolong-oxidation-explained Oolong runs from about 8% to 85% oxidation: Baozhong 8-15%, Ali Shan 15-25%, Dong Ding 25-30%, Oriental Beauty 50-70%. Roasting is a separate later step. Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Education https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/why-green-tea-tastes-bitter https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/why-green-tea-tastes-bitter Green tea turns bitter when catechins and caffeine over-extract. Brew sencha at 70-80 °C for about 30 seconds and gyokuro at 50 °C, and use soft water. Sat, 19 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Brewing https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/caffeine-in-tea-vs-coffee https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/caffeine-in-tea-vs-coffee Brewed black tea has about 47 mg of caffeine per 8 oz and green tea about 28 mg, vs 95 mg for coffee. Steep time moves tea caffeine more than tea type does. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Data https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/gongfu-tea-brewing-guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/gongfu-tea-brewing-guide Gongfu brewing uses 3 to 6.7 g of leaf per 100 ml, water at 80 to 100°C and 5 to 25 second first steeps. Timings for 7 tea types from 5 vendor guides. Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Brewing https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/best-water-for-tea https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/best-water-for-tea Brew tea with soft water at 30–80 mg/L hardness. Volvic (~70) and Crystal Geyser (38) fit; Evian (~307) is very hard; pure water gives more bitter green tea. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Science https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/best-tea-for-beginners https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/best-tea-for-beginners Coffee drinkers start with Assam or shou puer, flower fans with jasmine or oolong, bitter-averse with white or hojicha. Median $0.15-$0.39/g. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Buying Guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/taiwan-high-mountain-oolong-prices https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/taiwan-high-mountain-oolong-prices Gaoshan oolong grows above 1,000 m. Our catalog medians: Ali Shan $0.39/g, Li Shan $0.60/g, Da Yu Ling $0.78/g; a 7 g Li Shan session costs $4.20. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Data https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/masala-chai-recipe-from-scratch https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/masala-chai-recipe-from-scratch Six recipes compared: 2 parts water to 1 part milk, 1.5 tsp black tea and 2 cardamom pods per cup. Homemade costs $0.33 to $0.64 a cup with Assam. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Brewing https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/l-theanine-and-caffeine-studies https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/l-theanine-and-caffeine-studies Trials gave 50-250 mg theanine with 40-160 mg caffeine and found short attention gains. A cup of bagged black tea holds about 24 mg, so 100 mg is about 4 cups. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Science https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/how-to-read-a-tea-label https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/how-to-read-a-tea-label Grade codes like FTGFOP describe leaf size, not flavor. Check harvest year, origin and seals: 55% of 7,306 catalog teas print a year, 26 print a grade. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Education https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/japanese-green-tea-types https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/japanese-green-tea-types Sencha grows in sun, kabusecha is shaded about 7 days, gyokuro about 20, and hojicha is roasted. Brew temps from 50 to 100 °C and catalog prices per gram. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Education https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/yixing-teapot-guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/yixing-teapot-guide Yixing teapots are unglazed zisha clay from Dingshu, Jiangsu. Zini, zhuni and duanni pair with different teas; fully handmade pots ran $228–$570 in Oct 2026. Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Buying Guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/how-to-store-tea https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/how-to-store-tea Store tea airtight, dark, dry and below 25 °C. Green tea lasts 6–12 months, black 12–24; freeze only sealed bags; keep puer at 60–70% humidity. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Education https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/white-tea-grades-silver-needle-bai-mu-dan-shou-mei https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/white-tea-grades-silver-needle-bai-mu-dan-shou-mei Silver Needle is bud only, Bai Mu Dan a bud plus 1-2 leaves, Shou Mei mostly leaf. Median catalog prices as of Oct 2026: $0.42, $0.32 and $0.21 per gram. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Buying Guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/how-many-grams-of-tea-per-cup https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/how-many-grams-of-tea-per-cup Use about 1 g of tea per 100 ml for a Western mug (2.5 g per 8 oz), 2 g for ISO tasting, 3-7 g for gongfu, 3.3 g for usucha matcha and 1 g for cold brew. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Brewing https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/lapsang-souchong-smoked-tea https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/lapsang-souchong-smoked-tea Lapsang souchong is Wuyi black tea smoked over pine. Our catalog: 46 listings, median $0.34/g vs $0.26/g for all black tea. Brewed tea tested low in PAHs. Sat, 29 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Origins https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-and-iron-absorption https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-and-iron-absorption Black tea cut non-heme iron absorption from a meal by 79-94% in isotope studies. Tea 1 hour after eating halved the effect. No link to stores in healthy adults. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Science https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/thai-iced-tea-hong-kong-milk-tea-recipes https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/thai-iced-tea-hong-kong-milk-tea-recipes Thai iced tea uses about 6 g of dyed tea mix per 100 ml plus condensed milk. Hong Kong milk tea uses 2 g per 100 ml, simmered, pulled, with evaporated milk. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Brewing https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/jasmine-tea-scenting https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/jasmine-tea-scenting Jasmine tea is dry tea piled with fresh jasmine buds overnight, then sifted and dried; vendors repeat it 5-10 times. Hengxian grows over 80% of China's jasmine. Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Education https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/hojicha-and-genmaicha https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/hojicha-and-genmaicha Hojicha is green tea roasted at 160-180 °C: it keeps most caffeine (26 vs 28 mg) but loses 60% of catechins. Genmaicha is about half roasted rice. Sat, 22 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Education https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/earl-grey-bergamot-guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/earl-grey-bergamot-guide Earl Grey is tea scented with bergamot oil, over 90% of it from Calabria. How to read "natural flavor" labels, the 4-liter case, and 29 teas compared. Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Buying Guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/assam-vs-ceylon-vs-kenyan-black-tea https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/assam-vs-ceylon-vs-kenyan-black-tea Assam is lowland, malty and mostly CTC; Ceylon is orthodox and graded by elevation; Kenya is highland CTC and exported 653 million kg in 2025. Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Origins https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/decaf-tea-methods https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/decaf-tea-methods Decaf tea keeps about 2 mg caffeine per cup. CO2 removed 98% of caffeine and 87% of green tea catechins in one study. A 30-second home rinse does not decaf. Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Science https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/china-ten-famous-teas https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/china-ten-famous-teas China has no official ten famous teas list. Four published lists name 15 teas; 5 appear on all four. Catalog medians run $0.21–$1.22 per gram. Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Origins https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-bag-materials-microplastics https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-bag-materials-microplastics Paper, nylon, PET and PLA tea bags compared. Studies report 106 to 15 billion plastic particles per bag; regulators find no proven health risk. Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Science https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/us-tea-consumption-import-statistics https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/us-tea-consumption-import-statistics US tea imports hit $620.4M in 2025 (111,950 t), up 32% in value since 2015 on Japanese green tea. Americans drink about 86 billion servings a year. Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Data https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-sampler-strategy https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-sampler-strategy A 10-tea, 7-type basket from white2tea costs $38.15 before shipping as of October 1, 2026. Each sample holds at least two full gaiwan sessions. Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Buying Guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/dancong-oolong-aroma-types https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/dancong-oolong-aroma-types Dancong oolong is sold under 10 signature aroma names plus cultivar names. Our catalog lists 196 at a median $0.62 per gram, 1.4x the oolong median. Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Origins https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/yerba-mate-vs-green-tea https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/yerba-mate-vs-green-tea A 350 mL chimarrão gourd has about 91 mg of caffeine, a 200 mL cup of green tea about 40 mg. Per 100 mL they are close; mate uses about 50 g of leaf. Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Education https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/rooibos-and-honeybush https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/rooibos-and-honeybush Rooibos grows only in South Africa's Cederberg and is EU-protected; honeybush (Cyclopia) is mostly wild-picked. Both are caffeine-free herbal teas. Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Origins https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/how-to-taste-tea https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/how-to-taste-tea Brew each tea at the same weight, water and time, then judge leaf, aroma, liquor, taste and wet leaf on a 0-15 scale. A 3-tea flight costs $3.00. Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Education https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-caffeine-by-steep-time https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-caffeine-by-steep-time Broken tea leaf gives up about 95% of its caffeine in 3 minutes at 80 °C; whole leaf needs about 20 minutes. Second infusions keep a median 83% of the first. Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Science https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/chinese-green-teas-beyond-longjing https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/chinese-green-teas-beyond-longjing Pan-fired Biluochun, baked Huangshan Maofeng and Anji Bai Cha, charcoal-roasted Lu'an Guapian: how each is made, its chemistry and catalog price. Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Origins https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/gaiwan-vs-teapot-vs-kyusu https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/gaiwan-vs-teapot-vs-kyusu A gaiwan costs $6.75-$29.00 and suits oolong and puer; a kyusu ($36.00-$260.00) suits sencha; an infuser teapot suits black tea. Sizes and prices compared. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Buying Guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/korean-tea-guide-jeju-hadong-balhyocha https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/korean-tea-guide-jeju-hadong-balhyocha Korean law grades green tea by picking date from Gogu (about April 20): ujeon, gogu, sejak, jungjak, daejak. Hadong, Boseong and Jeju compared, plus balhyocha. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Origins https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-tasting-flights https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-tasting-flights Four tasting flights from in-stock teas: oxidation, country, roast and puer age. At 3 g per cup one session costs $1.01 to $3.30 in leaf as of October 1, 2026. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Education https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/gaba-tea-explained https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/gaba-tea-explained GABA tea is fresh leaf held without oxygen so glutamate turns into GABA, about 150 mg/100 g. Human studies are small. 12 GABA oolongs in our catalog. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Science https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/start-a-puer-collection-on-a-budget https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/start-a-puer-collection-on-a-budget $100 buys 3 puer teas, 700 g, as of October 1, 2026. Shou costs less per gram than sheng in every harvest-year bucket. Taste 25 g samples first. Sat, 25 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Buying Guide https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/best-tea-for-iced-tea https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/best-tea-for-iced-tea Brew black tea at 21 g per liter and pour it over its own weight in ice. Assam, Ceylon and Nilgiri suit iced tea; a 2 L pitcher costs $4.05-$7.77 in leaf. Fri, 24 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Brewing https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/shincha-japanese-tea-harvest-calendar https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/shincha-japanese-tea-harvest-calendar Shincha is the first tea of the spring crop. In 2025 first-flush sencha sold for ¥2,278/kg crude, second flush ¥1,321. Dates, flush shares and US prices. Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Origins https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/how-tea-auctions-set-prices https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/how-tea-auctions-set-prices Brokers taste and value each lot, then buyers bid. Mombasa averaged $2.15/kg in 2025; Colombo sold 239 million kg in 2025 at a weighted Rs 1,184/kg. Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Data https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-color-chemistry-theaflavins https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-color-chemistry-theaflavins Black tea color comes from theaflavins (about 0.3-2.3%, orange-red) and thearubigins (9-19%, red-brown). A TF:TR ratio near 1:10 is the classic quality target. Sun, 19 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Science https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/matcha-latte-at-home https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/matcha-latte-at-home Use 3 g matcha whisked into 100 ml of 80 °C water, then 100 ml milk. Oat milk foams longest; latte-grade matcha costs $0.39/g, about $1.28 a cup. Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Brewing https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-and-sleep-caffeine-half-life https://myteaexplorer.com/blog/tea-and-sleep-caffeine-half-life Caffeine's half-life is 3–7 h in adults. A 47 mg mug of black tea at 3 pm leaves about 16 mg at 11 pm at 5 h. Decaf and herbal options, with the sleep studies. Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT hello@myteaexplorer.com (Sam French) Science