Tea Guide

The Secret of Chinese Restaurant Tea: Types, Traditions & Where to Buy

1. What Tea is Served in Chinese Restaurants?
2. Why Chinese Restaurant Tea Tastes So Good
3. Where to Buy Authentic Chinese Restaurant Tea
4. How to Brew Chinese Restaurant-Style Tea
5. Regional Tea Traditions in China’s Restaurants
6. Top Restaurant-Quality Teas to Try at Home
7. FAQs About Chinese Restaurant Tea

1. What Tea is Served in Chinese Restaurants?

When you dine at a Chinese restaurant, the steaming pot of tea on your table isn’t just a drink—it’s a cultural experience. So, what tea is used in Chinese restaurants? Let’s break down the most common varieties:

Jasmine Tea

Jasmine Jade Snail Spiral Tea

The undisputed favorite, especially in American Chinese restaurants. Made by scenting green tea leaves with fresh jasmine blossoms, this tea offers a delicate floral aroma and a clean finish. Its light sweetness balances bold flavors like soy sauce and garlic.

Did you know? Jasmine tea has been cherished in Beijing for centuries. Lao She’s famous play Teahouse immortalized it as a symbol of hospitality.
Restaurant secret: Many establishments use loose-leaf jasmine tea for multiple infusions. Recreate this with Orientaleaf’s Jasmine Tea sourced from Hengxian's tea gardens.
>>>Read more Why Guangxi Hengxian is the Global Hub of Jasmine Tea?

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Oolong Tea

A semi-oxidized tea with a spectrum of flavors—from floral Tieguanyin to toasty Da Hong Pao. Oolong’s complexity pairs beautifully with roasted meats and stir-fries. Upscale restaurants often serve it in clay teapots to enhance its earthy notes.

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Shou Pu-erh (Ripened Pu-erh)

Yunnan Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake: Excellence in Every Sip Menghai Wei Ripe/Shu Puerh Tea Cake Pu-erh Tea Orientaleaf

This fermented dark tea, aged for years, has a rich, earthy profile. Popular in Cantonese dim sum spots, it cuts through greasy dishes like roast pork and egg tarts.

Pro tip: Restaurants use aged pu-erh cakes for deeper flavor. Try our aged Sticky Rice Scent Ripe Pu-erh Tea Cake(Nuo Mi Xiang) in Yunnan’s ideal climate.

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Osmanthus Tea

Osmanthus Tea is made from carefully selected Osmanthus flowers from Fujian, China. Known for its light and refreshing taste, this tea offers a subtle floral aroma and hints of apricot and peach.

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2. Why Chinese Restaurant Tea Tastes So Good

Chinese Restaurant Tea

Why is Chinese restaurant tea so good? It’s not magic—it’s science and tradition:

Premium Loose-Leaf Quality

Restaurants avoid low-grade tea bags. Instead, they use whole-leaf teas that release flavors gradually. For example, Orientaleaf’s Loose-Leaf Oolong can be steeped 5+ times, just like in restaurants.

Strategic Flavor Pairing

Jasmine tea neutralizes greasy or salty dishes.
Pu-erh aids digestion after heavy meals—perfect with dim sum.
Oolong enhances umami-rich dishes like braised pork.

Water Temperature Mastery

Restaurants control water temperature meticulously:

**175°F (80°C)** for green/jasmine teas to prevent bitterness.
**195°F (90°C)** for oolongs to unlock their aroma.
**Boiling (212°F)** for pu-erh to extract its full depth.

Cultural Rituals

Serving tea is a gesture of respect in Chinese culture. The ritual of pouring for others before yourself fosters connection—a practice you can bring home.

3. Where to Buy Authentic Chinese Restaurant Tea

Where to buy Chinese restaurant tea without compromising quality? Skip supermarket brands and follow these tips:

Direct-Sourced Blends

Mass-produced teas often lack depth. At Orientaleaf, we partner with family farms in China’s tea heartlands:

Fujian for jasmine tea and white tea. >>>Teas from Fujian
Yunnan for pu-erh. >>>Teas from Yunnan
Shaanxi for Fuzhuan tea. >>>Teas from Yunnan

Explore Our Best-seller Collection

4. Step-by-Step Guide to Brewing Chinese Restaurant-Style Tea

Follow this Chinese restaurant tea recipe for perfect results:

Choose Your Tea
- For beginners: Start with jasmine or oolong.
- For bold flavors, Opt for pu-erh.
- Do you need a Gongfu tea starter kit? The Gongfu Tea Starter Kit—Authentic Chinese Tea Set—is beginner-friendly and starts at just $29.5.
Measure the Leaves
Use 1 teaspoon of loose-leaf tea per 8 oz cup.
Heat the Water
- Green/jasmine: 175°F (use a thermometer or let boiling water cool 2 minutes).
- Oolong: 195°F.
- Pu-erh: Full boil (212°F).
- Check out our Ji Gu K-Kou Professional Gongfu Tea Kettle—a bit expensive, but a top choice in high-end Chinese tea houses.
First Infusion

Pour water over the leaves and steep:
- Jasmine: 2 minutes.
- Oolong: 3 minutes.
- Pu-erh: 30 seconds (rinse) + 2 minutes.
Re-Steep
Quality tea leaves can be reused 5+ times. Increase steeping time by 30 seconds each round.
Serve
Pour into small cups to savor the aroma. Pair with dishes like dumplings or fried rice.

5. Regional Tea Traditions in China’s Restaurants

While American Chinese restaurants focus on crowd-pleasers, China’s regional eateries tailor teas to local climates and cuisines:

Beijing: Jasmine tea reigns, paired with wheat-based dishes like zhajiangmian (noodles).
Cantonese/Hong Kong: Shou pu-erh aids digestion in humid climates. Historically, Hong Kong’s tea merchants aged pu-erh in caves for extra smoothness.
Northwest China (Xi’an, Lanzhou): Fuzhuan tea, a dark tea with golden “flower” fungi, cuts through lamb and hand-pulled noodles. Its probiotics aid digestion—ideal for high-protein meals.
Sichuan/Chongqing: Mengding Ganlu green tea cools the palate after a spicy hotpot.
Fujian: Tieguanyin oolong complements seafood soups with its orchid-like aroma.
Shanghai/Hangzhou: Dragon Well (Longjing) green tea mirrors the region’s delicate cuisine.