Educational Articles

A gnarled, moss-covered old tea tree trunk with twisting branches.
The Age of the Tea Tree and its Impact on Flavor
|Tea Drunk
Explore how tea tree age shapes flavor, texture, complexity, and value across Pu Er, Feng Huang Dan Cong, and Yan Cha. Read more...
Tea pickers harvesting leaves from tall tea trees using a ladder and baskets.
Naming Conventions in Feng Huang Wu Long
|Tea Drunk
Learn how geography, historic picking grades, cultivars, and signature aromas shape the names used for Feng Huang Wu Long and Dan Cong teas. Read more...
Four different white tea cups lined up outdoors against a blurred green backdrop.
How To Find the Perfect Cup For Your Tea
|Tea Drunk
Discover how a teacup’s lip shape, proportions, material, density, and thickness influence aroma, taste, and mouthfeel—and which cups pair best with different teas. Read more...
Buddhist monks sweeping the courtyard of South Shaolin Temple.
Understanding Chan Cha: Tea Made by Monks
|Tea Drunk
Learn what Chan Cha means, how tea made by monks differs from tea associated with temples, and how Fa Yu Fa Shi preserves this rare handmade tradition in Jiu Lian... Read more...
Best of Cold Brew Seasonal Sampler 2026
Your Guide to Cold Brew Tea for Summer Refreshment
|Tea Drunk
Two ways to cold brew tea this summer — including a new hot-bloom method — plus the six teas in our 2026 Cold Brew Sampler, hand-picked for their flavor when... Read more...
A woman smelling brewed tea from an aroma cup during a tasting demonstration.
Tea Sensory Analysis: From Aroma to Aftertaste
|Tea Drunk
Learn to evaluate tea through aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and aftertaste, then refine your analysis with quantity, quality, and tasting techniques. Read more...
Hands pouring brewed tea into a gaiwan surrounded by tasting bowls and tea leaves.
Understanding True Tea: A Guide to Camellia Sinensis and the Six Categories of Tea
|Tea Drunk
All true tea comes from Camellia sinensis. Discover how primary processing defines green, yellow, white, Wu Long, red, and Hei Cha. Read more...
Shunan with Ancient Tea Tree
How does one start to understand Pu Er
|Tea Drunk
Pu Er is a rising tea in the past 20 year. In fact, many connoisseurs mark year 2003 as the "year zero" of Pu Er, so yeah, 20 years exactly.... Read more...
A person evaluating rows of tea samples in white tasting cups and gaiwans.
Tea Evaluation Brewing Methods and Techniques
|Tea Drunk
Tea evaluation uses standardized brewing to reveal both the strengths and faults of a tea. Learn common competition methods and Shunan Teng’s own approach to assessing aroma, taste, mouthfeel, aftertaste,... Read more...
Old moss-covered tea trees growing among rocks on Feng Huang Shan.
The Ancient Trees & Lore of Feng Huang Shan
|Tea Drunk
Feng Huang Wu Long, often known as Feng Huang Dan Cong, represents the pinnacle of the Wu Long subcategory known as Chao Shan Wu Long. While there are many Wu... Read more...
Shelves of packaged tea boxes above a long tasting table with rows of tea cups.
A Note From Shunan Teng About Pre-Sale
|Tea Drunk
Read about why Tea Drunk hosts our Annual Pre-Sale and what buying at this time does for the company and the heritage farm partners we work with! Read more...
Rows of tea leaves sun-drying on bamboo racks outside a factory building.
Travel Back In Time With Your Tastebuds To Fu Ding, The Birthplace Of White Tea
|Tea Drunk
With mountains to the west and ocean to the east, Fu Ding is a picturesque county-level city in East Fu Jian Province. Though the city’s establishment in the Qing Dynasty... Read more...
A tea picker in a straw hat harvesting leaves on a terraced hillside.
Lu An: Terroir With 1000 Years Of Tea History
|Tea Drunk
Lu An, a city located in the province of An Hui in China, boasts over 1,000 years of tea-making history. The region is home to some of the most ancient... Read more...
Tea pickers in wide-brimmed hats harvesting leaves on a lush green mountainside.
A Tea Lover's Guide To Tea Season in China's Top Terroir
|Tea Drunk
Many complex factors must be considered when determining the optimal time to pluck tea in a region. It is essential to understand these nuances and avoid oversimplifying the process. This is... Read more...
A glass teapot of green tea leaves in front of a 2023 tea plant wall calendar.
Meet The Artist: Nhu-Phuong of Decoding Tea
|Tea Drunk
Meet the maker of the Decoding Tea wall calendar and learn about her process and dedication. Nhu-Phuong is an inspiring and passionate tea connoisseur and friend of Tea Drunk. Read more...
A black-and-white close-up of a silver Gai Wan-shaped necklace pendant on fabric.
Meet The Artist: Jennifer Cui of our Gai Wan Necklace
|Tea Drunk
We love working with artists to broaden the scope of what tea can be and our interest in the culture surrounding the plant. For a Gai Wan necklace made by... Read more...
Fresh Wu Long tea leaves spread on bamboo trays to wither.
What’s The Difference Between Yan Cha, Dan Cong, and Tie Guan Yin Wu Longs (Oolong)?
|Tea Drunk
If you’re new to the wide world of Wu Longs, it’s easy to get confused. Wu Long (also known as oolong) is one of the six main categories of tea.... Read more...
gai wan and teapot
Debunking Teaware: What’s The Difference Between Clayware and Porcelain?
|Tea Drunk
Much of the teawares used today are ceramic-based. While glass and metal teaware are also popular, in this article we focus on two historically significant teaware types, clayware and porcelain. In... Read more...
A handmade ceramic teacup being shaped on a pottery table with carving tools.
Meet The Artist: Ayumi Nojiri
|Tea Drunk
Meet Ayumi Nojiri, the artist who co-hosted the Porcelain Tea Cup Crafting Workshop with Guided Tea Tasting at the New York Chinese Opera Society in January 2023. Read more...
A blue-and-white gaiwan, cup of golden tea, and tea tin on a red Chinese New Year tablecloth.
Lunar New Year and Traditions of Tea
|Tea Drunk
Tea is a deeply ingrained part of Chinese culture. It has been consumed for thousands of years and symbolizes hospitality and respect. During Chinese New Year, it is common for... Read more...
Green tea leaves steeping in hot water inside a glass pitcher.
A Look Back at 2022 With Shunan Teng
|Tea Drunk
Shunan looks back at the successes and challenges Tea Drunk experienced during 2022 with gratitude and celebration. Read more...
A small white cup of amber tea beside red winter berries on a wooden table.
Teas We Drink To Feel Good
|Tea Drunk
We polled our community, asking what teas they drink when they want to feel better, and here’s what they have to say! Read more...
Terraced tea bushes on a misty hillside in Hangzhou's Long Jing tea-growing region.
What's The Fuss About Long Jing?
|Tea Drunk
At Tea Drunk, we ameliorate by treading conservatively, striving to preserve as much as we can of Long Jing’s terroir, cultivar, and processing, to reminisce, protect, and forge ahead. Read more...
Grid comparing four green tea leaf types by drying method: heated in a wok, baked, sun-dried, and steamed.
The Four Sub-Categories of Green Tea
|Tea Drunk
Depending on the desired flavor outcome, there are many ways to heat and dry the leaves. Knowing the four sub-categories of green tea will help you easily identify and evaluate... Read more...