Tea Stories

Like a lot of you, I started drinking tea when I was very young, but I only discovered the wider world of tea as an adult. So there was a learning curve, both about tea itself and about how to enjoy it.

Here are some of the things I've learned, and some techniques I've picked up, over the last 15 years of drinking tea. I've grouped them by topic to make them easier to follow.

1. Types of tea: The basic categories are black, green, white, and oolong. Until I was a teenager I only knew black tea, and we always drank it with milk. As an adult I tried green tea but gave up on it because it tasted bitter. I first tasted white tea 8 years ago, and I love a properly made white tea. I didn't know much about oolong until 4 years ago.

2. Green tea doesn't have to be bitter: You can avoid most of the bitterness with good brewing technique or by cold steeping, and the way the tea is produced can reduce its natural bitterness too. I found that green tea isn't bitter at all when it's made and steeped a certain way.

   

3. Tea is a diuretic: I stopped drinking coffee regularly because of the caffeine, then noticed that tea made me go to the washroom more often. To deal with that, I started making a second steep from whole-leaf tea, which is milder than the first cup.

4. Learning to steep tea properly: Good steeping makes a real difference. The flavour comes through more clearly and the tea is simply more enjoyable.

5. Whole leaf tea is a better experience: Growing up on a tea farm in Nepal, we drank hand-rolled, whole-leaf tea. Later on I drank broken tea for years, but once I went back to whole leaf and read about its benefits, I switched for good. Whole leaf tea steeps slowly and gives you more aroma and a wider range of flavour.

6. Water quality affects the taste: I used to wonder why the same tea tasted different depending on where I was. Eventually I realised the water makes a huge difference. Water with fewer minerals gives a much smoother cup.

7. Floral teas don't need milk: At home we always drank tea with milk. I later understood that was because our black tea was bitter, for two reasons: we boiled it instead of steeping it, and when we hand-rolled it, the leaves were over-oxidised. Floral teas don't need milk. They're less oxidised and much less bitter than malty teas.

8. Not everyone likes white tea: I've tried white tea on a lot of guests, and many of them said it tasted like water. What I've learned is that not everyone can pick up white tea's flavour, that the quality of the tea decides its aroma and taste, and that you have to follow the time and temperature closely to really taste it. Tip: use a little more leaf if you want a stronger flavour.

9. Blended teas don't do tea justice: Teas are usually blended to hide staleness, astringency, or bitterness. Once blended, the tea loses its own aroma and character and the added flavour takes over, so it's no longer really about the tea. A pure, good-quality tea gives a satisfaction no blend can. I've tried plenty of blends, Earl Grey included, and never liked them.

10. Don't drink green tea on an empty stomach: Green tea first thing in the morning has often made me feel nauseous. Now I have breakfast first and drink my tea afterwards, and I haven't had a bad experience with green tea since.

I hope you found this helpful. Leave a comment if you'd like me to share more of my tea experiences, and I'll add to this post.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I improve my ability to taste and appreciate tea?

Start by tasting tea without milk or sugar so you can find its base flavour. Compare teas from the same category side by side, and smell the tea before your first sip. Try the same tea at different temperatures, since a cooler cup often shows notes that heat hides. A simple tasting log helps too.

What are the main types of tea and how do they differ?

All true tea comes from Camellia sinensis. Black tea is fully oxidised, bold, and robust. Green tea is minimally processed, fresh, and vegetal. White tea is the least processed, delicate, and naturally sweet. Oolong sits between green and black, and its flavour varies hugely depending on how oxidised it is.

Why does tea sometimes taste bitter, and how do I avoid it?

Bitterness is almost always caused by water that's too hot or steeping that's too long. Green and white teas are the most sensitive: use water at 75 to 85°C and steep for 2 minutes at most. Black teas can take boiling water but shouldn't steep for more than 4 minutes.

What is the difference between loose leaf tea and tea bags?

Loose leaf tea uses whole leaves or large pieces, which gives the flavour compounds room to develop properly. Standard tea bags usually hold dust and fannings, the smallest grade of tea, made for speed rather than flavour. High-altitude, single-origin loose leaf tea like Nepal Hills makes a very different cup.

How should I store tea to keep it fresh?

Keep tea in an airtight container away from light, heat, and strong smells. Green and white teas pick up odours more easily than black teas, so don't store tea near coffee or spices. Stored well, most teas stay fresh for 12 to 18 months.

About the Writer: Bhaskar Dahal

Bhaskar Dahal is a tea enthusiast who loves experimenting with tea and sharing recipes and stories. He's also passionate about supporting tea artisans and farmers. Raised on a tea farm in a family of tea producers, Bhaskar shares the story of tea from Nepal first-hand.