Shi Feng Dragon Well: The Crown Jewel of Chinese Green Tea
There are few teas in the world that inspire as much admiration, history, and devotion as Shi Feng Dragon Well, the most celebrated expression of China's legendary Long Jing tea. Nestled...
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Lichuan Gongfu Black Tea: A Hidden Gem from China’s Misty Mountains
Discover Lichuan Gongfu Black Tea, a hidden gem from China’s misty Enshi mountains. Rich in heritage and naturally grown in selenium-rich terroir, this smooth and refined black tea offers elegant...
The Legacy of Yunnan Gongfu Black Tea: Born from the Shadows of WWII
Discover the remarkable story of Yunnan Gongfu Black Tea (Dian Hong), born during the turmoil of World War II. From a wartime necessity to one of China's most iconic exports,...
What Is Anji Bai Cha? The Famous Chinese Green Tea Mistaken for White Tea
Despite its name, Anji Bai Cha is not a white tea, but one of China’s most famous green teas. Learn its fascinating history, unique pale leaves, and why its umami-rich...
What Is Mengding Yellow Tea? China’s Hidden Yellow Tea Treasure
Mengding Yellow Tea is one of China’s rarest tea treasures, crafted in the birthplace of cultivated tea. Learn why this hidden gem is prized for its rich history, labor intensive...
Tea Hair Fragrance or Hao Xiang - What You Need to Know About Aged Silver Needles White Tea
Silver needles are the highest grade of all white teas and is highly sought after amongst white tea lovers. It is versatile and can be enjoyed either fresh or aged....
Should You Buy The Earliest Harvest Dragon Well Green Tea?
Early birds may get the worm, but is this true for early harvest tea? When spring is just around the corner, as early as the first week of March, there...
The Origin of Cha Dao, or the Tao of Tea
The earliest occurrence of the word of "Cha Dao", or the Tao of Tea, can be traced back to the literature of Jiao Ran's poem regarding the benefit of drinking tea. Starting...
Wuyi Rock Oolong - What Exactly is “Rock Bone, Floral Fragrance”?
In recent years, Wuyi Rock Oolong has become a tea lover’s wonderland for its outstanding temperament and mesmerizing taste. Wuyi tea lovers specifically love to chase after the “Rock Yun”....
Off the Beaten Path - A Paradise Tea from the Sunshine Scattered Jungle
To harvest this tea, the villagers must go upstream, cross the river at some point, and climb up the hills and mountains by foot, 5 or 6 hours by foot....
The Difficult Art of Roasting Lu An Gua Pain Green Tea
You probably already know that roasting is a process used in making tea, especially for oolong teas. Green tea, on the other hand, is not roasted, rather, pan-fried in the...
"Mud in Mud, Rock in Rock" - The flesh and bone of Yixing Zisha purple clay
Zisha teapots are unique to Chinese tea culture. The clay is very special, only present in Yixing. Their process of crafting teapots is unique, different than anywhere else in the world....
Why Quality Water Is Important for Your Brew - The Wonderful Duet of Tea and Water
A famous tea scholar from Ming dynasty once wrote in his book, “that beautiful tea’s inner aroma is stimulated by water. No water, no tao of tea”. Water bears tea,...
What You Need to Know About Da Hong Pao
Fifty-one years ago, on Feb. 21st, 1972, history took a major turn. Chinese Chairman Mao gave the visiting President Richard Nixon of the United States, a welcome gift, a thoughtfully...
The Right Way To Brew a Great Cup of Shu Pu-erh Tea
Shu puerh tea undergoes a fermentation process which creates that unique shu flavor profile. While sheng puerh tea in general creates a stronger sensation, shu puerh in general is mellower...
The Five Criteria for Discerning Shu Puerh Quality and Taste
The quality of puerh tea in the marketplace has varied wildly, especially for shu puerh, more so than any other types of tea, so it would be beneficial to exercise...
Do you really know your Dragon Well? An Emperor's Tale...
The origins of Dragon Well begin in West Lake, located in modern Huangzhou City. Here, it is said that about three hundred years ago, the emperor of Qing dynasty, Qian...
3 Fun Facts You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Pu’erh Tea
In continuing with our series of articles on pu’erh tea, today we will present to you the five things you (probably) didn’t know about pu’erh. 1. Pu’erh Tea is...
Video: How to Properly Break Off Leaves From a New Tea Cake
Learn how to properly and safely break off the leaves of a new tea cake through this helpful instructional video featuring Victoria of Meimei Fine Teas.
Video: How to Brew A Great Cup of Green Tea
Learn how to get the most out of your green tea with this engaging instructional video from Meimei Fine Teas' Victoria outlining the critical elements involved in producing your most...
A Letter to Our Valued Tea Lovers - Our Response to Covid-19 Pandemic
While we are all facing the shock and unprecedented times related to the pandemic of Covid-19, we wanted to send out our thoughts to you and your family and wish...
Top Green Tea FAQ's
Green tea’s popularity has been on the rise for many years and with good reason. Not only does a properly brewed high quality green tea taste great, but many studies...
“Three Thousand Weak Waters, Only One Scoop” – Yixing Teapot Shi Piao
Yixing teapots are unique to Chinese gongfu tea culture and are only produced in Yixing city of Jiangshu province. This particular teapot style originated during the Ming dynasty by the...
A Perfect Circle: Tasting the 2013 Fuding White Peony Natural Beauty Cake
History: Fuding County in Fujian Province is not just a core-producing area for white tea; it is the place that gave birth to the white tea we know today, beginning...
The Joy of Tasting a Pu'erh: Lao Man'E Ancient Tree, Sheng
Last week, we discussed what to expect when you venture into the exotic territory of pu’erh tasting. Unlike other forms of tea, it is pu’erh that usually has the most...
Enjoying the Process: The Four Stages of Pu’erh Tea Tasting
Pu’erhs are one of the most complex kinds of teas out there, and with that complexity comes tremendous joy that tea drinkers can expect over a testing session. Unfortunately, many...
The Hidden Price of Tea: How Trump’s Tariffs Could Cost You Your Cup
Since the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War, there has never been a tariff on tea in the United States… until now. The Importance of China to the US...
Caffeine and Your Tea: Myths and Misconceptions
There are a surprisingly large number of people with caffeine sensitivities. Even when exposed to low amounts, these people will experience the effects from it, suffering from sleep disturbances or...
Green Tea Steeping FAQ: How Long You Should Brew, Resteeping, Water Quality and More
In today’s post, we’re going to look closely at some of the most commonly encountered problems and questions tea drinkers have when attempting to brew green tea. If you’ve ever...
Why is West Lake Dragon Well Green Tea More Expensive Than Other Dragon Wells?
Long Jing: The Hidden Factors Behind Tea Pricing If you’ve ever explored the world of West Lake Dragon Well (Long Jing) green tea, you may have noticed a striking difference...
Beyond the Tea Sourcing Trips – Why Terroir Matters, An Interview with Victoria Wu (Part 2)
- Continued from Part 1 Derek: You said that you wanted to be able to provide your teas are of the highest quality. Is this why you decided that you...
Beyond the Tea Sourcing Trips – An Interview with Victoria Wu (Part1)
One of our tea enthusiasts at Meimei Fine Teas, Derek Elliott, arranged a phone interview with Victoria to discuss her tea sourcing trips and learn more about them. Where do...
Wuyi Rou Gui: What’s the Difference between Shui Lian Dong and Ma Tou Yan?
You may have noticed that we carry two different Wuyi Rou Gui oolongs on our website, one that is sourced from Shui Lian Dong (the famous “Water Curtain Cave”) and...
What is Fo Shou (Buddha’s Hand)? An Authentic Wuyi Rock Oolong Tea Like No Other
Fo Shou (佛手), or Buddha’s Hand Oolong, traces its origins back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127 AD). Near Eternal Spring in Yong Chun County, Fujian province, this varietal was...
How to Season a Yixing Purple Clay Teapot
Whether you’ve just purchased your first Yixing teapot or are simply thinking about it, it’s important to know that some care should be taken to ready your teapot for seasoning....
How to Drink Tea from a Gaiwan
Although the gaiwan remains the most widely preferred teaware for gongfu tea ceremonies, did you know that it can also be used more casually? Indeed, one reason it has retained...
What’s Right for You, the Gaiwan or the Teapot?
When you consider the various elements that contribute to the perfect cup of tea (space, porosity, thickness, convenience, shape, aesthetic), it quickly becomes clear that tea balls, tea bags, and...
Choosing the Right Utensils: The Gaiwan
Convenience and familiarity often guide our lives, and in the world of tea, this often means preferring the convenience of a strainer and the familiarity of a mug. The strainer...
A Brief History of the World’s Oldest Tea: White Tea
White tea is renowned for being the least processed kind of tea, even less so than green tea. Crafting a white tea usually involves just a few simple steps —...
The Complete Guide to Iced Tea, Pt. II: Cold Brewing
In last week’s post, we offered a step-by-step guide to “flash chilling,” a method used to make iced tea that is quick and easy, but in spite of this convenience,...
The Complete Guide to Iced Tea, Pt. I: Flash Chilling
Summer is quickly approaching, and as the temperatures begin to rise, so do our desires for cooler drinks to combat the heat. A long-time favorite in this regard for many...
What Makes for a Good Green Tea?
Have you ever wondered what exactly makes for a good green tea? With so many options on the market, how can you tell which is better than which? Is...
Why Tea Lovers Look Forward to the Tea Harvest
Imagine if you had a chance to rewrite a calendar. Specifically, imagine that you’ve been tasked with designating the holidays. What would you do?You might, at first, wish every day...
Meet the Legendary “Mother of All Teas”
Nestled more than 2200m high in the mountains of the Fengqing region of Yunnan province is a small village by the name of Jin Xiou. But in spite of its...
A Brief Guide to Steeping Loose Leaf Teas
Some who turn to loose-leaf tea for the first time find it immediately distasteful. Perhaps the most frequent complaint is that their tea tastes bitter or astringent. No matter how...
Understanding Pu-erh Tea and Appreciating the Importance of Terroir
Many pu-erh tea drinkers have become familiar with Menghai county and the tea factories in that region. The name itself is practically synonymous with “high-quality,” a reputation earned from the...
What is Orange Shu Puerh (Gan Puer Tea) and Why Should You Be Drinking It?
It has unfortunately become commonplace to associate shou or ripe pu’erh with earthier flavors and smells, ranging from musty basement to forest floor. Part of the problem lies at the...
What is Teng Tiao Cha (“Rattan” or “Vine” Tea), and What Makes It So Unique?
Last week, we introduced you to Mengku pu’erh, discussing the important characteristics typical of Mengku teas. There is, however, an outlier to this group, a puerh so unique that it...
Pu’erh You Should Know: A Brief Introduction to Mengku Pu’erh
Mengku is one of the four major pu’erh production areas in Yunnan province, and though its fame skyrocketed in the early aughts with some excellent marketing by Shuangjiang Mengku,...
Tea Tasting Guide: How to Taste and Appreciate Wuyi Rock Oolongs
岩骨花香(yan gu hua xiang)floral fragrance, rock bone Wuyi rock oolongs might be some of the most difficult teas to craft in the world. Each of them requires careful attention from...
Bai Ji Guan: One of the Four Famous Wuyi Rock Oolongs and Why You’ve Never Heard Of It
Of the four great tea bushes of Wuyishan (四大名丛), arguably none is more precious than Bai Ji Guan (白鸡冠), and yet, strangely enough, there is a good chance that you...
Puerh Tea Benefits - What You Need to Know about the Next Big Superfood
If you haven’t yet heard of puerh, pronounced poo-are or poo-air, you’re missing out on one of the most popular forms of tea in the world. Given its incredible shelf life, complex flavor...
A Brief History of Tea: How Curiosity Accidentally Created the Drink that Conquered the World
According to the Tea Association of the USA, tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, second only to water. Able to be consumed at nearly...
Should You Use Bottled Water or Tap Water for Your Tea? It’s Complicated.
If you’re like most tea drinkers, you have a daily ritual that involves selecting your favorite tea, heating your water, and then infusing your tea leaves until it’s ready to...
The Difference between Sheng Puerh and Shu Puerh
Pu-erh is a unique form of tea that defies inclusion in the common categories of white, green, oolong, and black. Depending on its age, you might find it more...
Family, Friends, and Community: The Importance of the Chinese Lunar New Year and What it Means for You
Last week, the world came together and celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year, a weeklong celebration that is the most important holiday of the year. Drawing from China’s lengthy and...
How Can You Get the Most Out of your Pu-erh?
Pu-erh is beloved by tea enthusiasts worldwide. The pressed cakes, often wrapped in eye-catching packaging, come in a medley of beautiful colors, and the range of exotic, complex flavors...
What Makes Wuyi Rock Oolong Tea So Unique?
Our teas showcase a variety of sensory characteristics—shape, color, aroma, texture—that entice us, invite us to use and infuse, bringing us great pleasure and joy as we carefully walk through...
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Teacup Shapes
In wine tasting, oenophiles, sommeliers, and other experts have long understood how the structure, shape, and material of a wine glass can influence the flavors and aromatics of the wine....
Pairing Your Tea and Teaware, A Regional Approach
For some of us, selecting the teaware we plan to use on any given day is an emotional or aesthetic decision. We might feel good about a gaiwan one...
What You Need to Know about Anxi Tie Guan Yin Iron Goddess of Mercy
One side of the mountain gently slopes downward, an Iron Goddess of Mercy statue crowning the ridge, overlooking the valley down below. On this slope are rows upon rows of...
Four Reasons We Love Yixing Teapots
As we discussed last week, there are a lot of reasons to love Jian Shui teapots, and while they can be the more economical option, Yixing still holds a very...
Say Hello to Jian Shui Zi Tao Purple Clay Teapots!
Ever wonder what a Jian Shui Purple Clay teapot is? Ever wonder how Zi Tao pottery differs from Yixing? Do you know which is best for you? If these...
Meet the Intoxicating, Enchanting Long Yuan Mark, a slightly-Roasted Raw Pu-erh tea
Ever heard of a fire-roasted puerh? This gem hails from the Bulang Mountains in Meng Hai, Yunnan, made available from a highly respected puerh producer. The first production run...
A Look at the Latest Award-Winning Teas, pt. II: Wuyi Rock Oolong Rou Gui
Today, we want to tell you about our other award-winning tea: Wuyi Rou Gui, a special rock oolong geared towards the connoisseurs. Nestled within a small valley within the Wuyi...
A Look at the Latest Award-Winning Teas, pt. I: Long Jing Dragonwell
It’s no secret that we take a great deal of pride in the teas that we choose to source. We travel to China at least twice a year, visiting...
What is Lapsang Tea? Just the Best Black Tea You can Drink in the Fall Season!
The change of the seasons is always an exciting time of the year. For many of us, the weather gets cooler, sometimes uncomfortably so, and people everywhere are filled with...
Do You Really Need to Preheat Your Mug or Teapot?
It’s really easy to get complacent when it comes to daily routines. We’ll leave our freshly laundered clothes lying around an extra day or two; we’ll worry about our kitchen...
Are You Waiting Too Long to Resteep your Tea?
On each of our tea journeys, we discover our own unique ways of preparing tea. Some of us prefer the gaiwan to the teapot, oolong to white tea, or unsweetened...
Essential Teaware Explained: Your Guide to Gaiwan and How to Use It, Part 3
Our last two blog posts have been focusing on the inimitable gaiwan, a teaware piece that represents near perfect coordination between function and form, use and aesthetic. We first explored...
Essential Teaware Explained: Your Guide to Gaiwan and How to Use It, Part 2
Last week, we started to discuss the gaiwan, taking a brief look at its history and in what ways it differs from a teapot. Usually consisting of a small bowl...
Essential Teaware Explained: Your Guide to Gaiwan, Pt. 1 (Background)
If you’ve ever attended a tea tasting, visited a tea bar, browsed the wares in a tea shop, or even awkwardly dropped in on a friend who was right...
Mooncakes and Tea: Why We Love the Mid-autumn Moon Festival (and So Should You!)
Perhaps you’ve seen it before? The streets are filled with people dancing to sets of drums, donning elaborate dragon costumes amidst enormous paper lanterns.If you look even closer,...
What You Need to Know About Commercial Grade Tea
We’ve all been there. Whether you’re visiting a hip, local neighborhood for some window shopping or you’re strolling down the aisles in the grocery store, inevitably, you will find some...
If Your Tea Doesn’t Taste Right, You May Be Making One of the Most Common Mistakes
Following up last week’s blog on some of the most important elements that affect your perfect cup of tea, we decided to complement that advice by zeroing in on an all-too-common...
How to Make the Perfect Cup of Tea? Remember: WWTT
Sometimes no matter how hard you try, your cup of tea just doesn’t turn out right. Does it taste too weak? Too bitter? Maybe it doesn’t taste right? What could...
What You Need to Make Pu Erh Tea Like a Pro
We’ve spent the last few weeks extolling the virtues of pu erh, addressing some common misconceptions, and providing some advice for picking out good teas while avoiding bad ones. Inevitably,...
What Makes for a Good Pu Erh Tea? Three Things You Should Know
Imagine that your interest in pu erh is piqued. You’re now browsing a selection and trying to figure out what to purchase. How do you make up your mind? Should...
How to Store Pu-Erh Tea and What to Do About Aging It
We’ve discussed some tea storage tips in the past (see tea storage 101 and tea storage 201), but we also noted how Pu-erh storage is a little different from the...
What Is Pu'Erh Tea and What Does It Taste Like?
Turning to pu erh for the first time can be overwhelming, confusing, and even intimidating. What is it supposed to taste like? What are you supposed to do with the...
What Goes Into a Good Jasmine Tea?
It isn’t easy to find a good Jasmine tea. As a tea buyer, we have to think about the base for the tea, the quality of the flowers, and the...
A Look at Yellow Mountain, Home to Huangshan Mao Feng Green Tea
The “Banished Immortal,” one of the most famous poets in Tang Dynasty known as Li Bai, once wrote of China’s loveliest mountain (translation by Dongbo): Cinnabar crags crush granite...
An Ode to Tea Horse Road: Why Nobody Should Forget This Ancient Trading Route
The year was 641 AD. A Tang dynasty princess named Wen Cheng was set to marry a Tibetan king, Songsten Gampo. Inaugurating this new marriage was a gift that the...
The Story of Keemun Black Tea: How the World’s Most Famous Black Tea Came to Be
In 1875, a retired civil servant named Yu Gan Chen returned home to Qimen County after spending some of his professional life in the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian. At the...
What is Gong Fu Style Tea and Why is it Special?
There are many enthusiastic tea drinkers who are already familiar with the term gong fu, believing that it denotes a form of tea preparation. This is somewhat true, and we’ve...
Lu An Gua Pian is a Green Tea Like No Other
In the southeastern region of China lies Anhui Province, an area reputed by artists and poets for its unmatched natural beauty that playfully contrasts dark granite stones with towering pines,...
A Steamed Chinese Green Tea? Meet Enshi Yu Lu Green Tea
One of the supposed differences between Chinese green tea and Japanese green tea is the step taken that halts the tea leaves from degrading, a step known as shaqing or...
A Hidden Treasure in Plain Sight: The Allure of Anji Bai Cha
In the northwestern region of Zhejiang Province of China lies Anji County, home to Anji Bai Cha, one of the most sought-after teas in the world. This tea, however, is...
What Is Pre-ming and Pre-rain? Chinese Spring Harvest Tea Terms
It’s only a matter of time before we start slowly rolling out some fresh batches of the classics as well as some new surprise teas. We’ve been very busy over the...
The Wonderful World of Wuyi Oolong Rock Teas
In the northern part of Fujian Province in China lies the Wuyi Mountain Range (known as Wuyishan), which hosts a beloved national park. The area was recognized by UNESCO as...
Your Guide to Ultimate Iced Tea - Cold Brew Pomelo Flower Dan Cong Oolong
Making iced tea can sometimes be a little tricky. Between monitoring your infusion times and calculating the amount of ice to use, there is a lot of room for mistakes....
The Legend of Longjing Dragon Well Green Tea
Located in Zhejiang Province in China, within Hangzhou City, lies a village nestled at the base of Wengjia Mountain known as Long Jing. The name of this village literally translates...
Celebrate Mother’s Day with the Right Cup of Tea
Mother’s Day is just around the corner (Sunday, May 13)! And so if you’re wondering how to celebrate the occasion, might we suggest that there’s nothing better than a good...
Two Tips for the Perfect Cup of Tea in the Spring
For so many of us, our desires for food and drink mirror the mood of the season. As the temperature cools, for instance, we tend to reach for warmer foods...
Three Tea Life Hacks You’ll Wish You Started Doing Yesterday
A life hack refers to any tricks, shortcuts, or other lifestyle changes that can improve the quality of our lives in big ways with very little costs. Drinking a can...
The Secret of Pu-erh Tea: Metamorphosis
The idea of metamorphosis has long fascinated people. The Roman poet Ovid composed over fifteen books featuring two hundred and fifty poems on the topic. In our earliest science classes,...
A Beginner’s Guide to Purchasing Loose Leaf Tea
If you’re shopping for loose leaf tea for the first time, it’s easy to make some rookie mistakes. How much tea should you purchase? Is one bag enough or will...
MeiMei Fine Teas is Awarded a Silver Medal in 2018 Global Tea Championship
Each year, the Global Tea Championship features a diverse and large number of entrants representing a handful of categories. This year’s tasting competition took place in Boulder, Colorado on March...
Why You Need At Least One Jun Teacup In Your Collection
The Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD) in China was home to a cultural renaissance, a period during which there was an intellectual and artistic explosion in everything from mathematics, engineering, and...
Your Guide to the Tea Cup – Part II
Have you ever noticed that some tea cups are really tiny and others are larger? Maybe you’ve wondered why some tend to be slender and tall while others are...
Your Guide to the Tea Cup – Part I
Contrary to popular belief, wine connoisseurs have only discovered recently the importance of the wine glass and the role that it plays in enhancing the taste of their favorite...
Making Tea? This is the Most Important Thing to Have - Part II
So what else do you need to know? In general, you want to think carefully about the kind of tea you intend to prepare. Teapots or gaiwans crafted from...
Making Tea? This is the Most Important Thing to Have - Part I
One of the most exciting elements of being a loose leaf tea drinker is the beauty of the entire tea drinking experience. And if there’s any one thing that can...
A Purchasing Guide to the Best Tea Scales
In our Beginner’s Guide to Loose Leaf Tea, we recommended investing in a good kitchen scale. With so many options out there, how do you decide on which one to...
A Beginner’s Guide to Loose Leaf Tea
Loose leaf tea makes for some incredible cups of tea, especially if you know what you are doing. So many people, used to the convenience of bagged tea, let these...
The First Thing to do with Your Loose Leaf Tea
If it’s your first time purchasing loose leaf tea, things can seem a little overwhelming once you have the leaves at home for yourself. Many of us were raised on...
The Eight Cups of Tea Challenge
There is just something so enticing about a challenge. From wrestling and sword-fighting to duels and diets, the human spirit is always willing to showcase its extraordinary ability to overcome...
The Colors of Our Teas – A Quick and Friendly Guide to Tea Types
Tea comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors, ranging from the ethereal and mysterious Moonlight White tea to the rich and earthy Lao Liu Bao dark tea. To...
A Tea Unto Itself – Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea
Tucked away in eastern Guangdong province in southeastern China lies the prestigious Phoenix Mountains, a remote and rugged but pristine area that is home to some of the most majestic...
A Cup of Tea for Healthy Eyes?
We all drink tea for a variety of reasons — delicious flavors, relaxing rituals, eye-catching aesthetics, or even as additions to a healthy lifestyle — and so it is always...
Why Drinking Tea is the Perfect Way to Kick Off 2018
With 2017 in our rear view and 2018 fresh upon us, many of us find ourselves excited to discover what the new year will bring. This is also the time...
That One Tea Steeping Trick : Leaf Agitation
Today, we’re going to look at a step that might be more even neglected than the water pouring, and that is agitation. If you have ever observed any of the...
Make Your Tea Instantly Better – The Art of Pouring
Whenever you pick up a skill for the first time, the attention is usually given to the basics before moving on to more advanced techniques. At some point, however, that...
These Three Benefits of Black Tea Make it the Perfect Winter Life Hack
We tend to associate green and white teas with the spring and summer seasons and oolong and black teas with the fall and winter seasons. There could be any number...
Thanksgiving's Blessings and Nature's Great Gift
What was once one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States next to Christmas has become an increasingly discussed subject of controversy. Most of us are familiar with...
The Perfect Tea Gift Guide: Eight Exceptional Gift Ideas for the Tea Lover in Your Life
It is hard to believe, but the Holiday Season is almost upon us, officially starting in one week on Thanksgiving. While it is a season to be celebrated with good...
The Truth about Pesticides and Tea
You may have read reports about pesticides, herbicides, toxins, and other carcinogens possibly contaminating your teas. Unfortunately, these concerns are not unfounded. Multiple, independent organizations have conducted research and tested...
Five Must Have Pu’erh Teas for the Collector
Pu’erhs are wildly popular today and for good reason. They have incredible shelf lives when stored properly, they taste even better as they age, and the flavors are complex...
Ranking the Top Three Teas to Help Keep you Warm
Not many people enjoy frigid temperatures, but there’s no denying that it brings some exciting smells, flavors, foods, and drinks. So with colder weather finally beginning to settle in, we...
How to Measure Your Loose Leaf Tea
It can be a little difficult transitioning from bagged tea to loose leaf tea. Bagged teas can make things convenient for tea drinkers because they have already separated the tea...
Tea Spotlight: Award Winning Floral Shui Xian Oolong Tea
We are pleased to announce that our Floral Shui Xian Oolong Tea is a winner in the 2017 Global Tea Championship – Hot Spring Loose Leaf, which was held in...
MeiMei Fine Teas in Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort
Hurricane Harvey was a powerful Category 4 storm that made landfall in the east Texas and Louisiana on August 25th, making it the second-most costly natural disaster in US history....
What’s So Special about Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong?
Phoenix Mountain oolongs have a reputation for being some of the most complex teas available, and for good reason. From the appearance of the leaves to the intoxicating aromas, this...
How to Make the Switch from Coffee to Tea
For many Americans, coffee is a part of one’s daily morning routine. Whether one opts for more fine control over the process by using the pourover method, finds comfort in...
What is Purple Tea?
Tea enthusiasts are usually pretty familiar with the basic types of tea. The two most common types of teas are green and black, but as you expand your interest in...
The Secret to a Good Cup of Tea
Purchasing loose leaf tea for the first time can be an exciting experience, but it can also be overwhelming. After all, loose leaf demands more of our attention, and though...
What Is Pu’erh Tea and Why Is It So Captivating? (Part II)
There is no denying that the flavor of pu’erh tea is very unique and complex. If you have had experience with it before, you have probably noticed that every brand...
What Is Pu’erh Tea and Why Is It So Captivating? (Part I)
Pu’erh tea has been increasingly growing in popularity in the United States every year. In fact, you just might say “Pu’erh is the new black!” But what exactly is it...
The History of Tea Bags
For the past several decades, we have lived in a culture of convenience. Contributing to this trend has been the emergence of the tea bag. The use of...
The World of Natural Flavored and Scented Teas
Last week, we looked at some of the problems with flavored teas in the tea market. Between questionable additives, use of inferior teas, unnatural or overpowering flavors, and inflated pricing,...
Flavored and Scented Teas - What You Need to Know
While many of us new to the world of tea often find ourselves first attracted to flavored tea, there is no denying that such teas can present a multitude of...
New Harvest Spring White and Black Teas
Last week, we briefly reviewed some of our latest green tea offerings for this season, and so this week, we turned our attention to our newest white and black teas....
What’s New? A Glance at New Harvest Spring Green Teas
After traveling to China in April and May to source some fresh, exciting teas for the upcoming season, MeiMei Fine Teas is finally proud to present our latest lineup of...
The Importance of Sustainability in Tea Farming
Last week, we touched on what ethically sourcing tea is and why it matters. This week, we’re going to look a little more closely at the practices of sustainable farming...
The Importance of Ethically Sourced Tea
Our society has grown increasingly health conscious over the past decade. An increased awareness of synthetic chemicals that deteriorate the quality of our food has changed our consumer behavior, forcing...
What is Oxidation in Tea?
Last week, we shined some light on the world of tea processing by looking at Long Jing Dragonwell green tea to gain some insight into exactly how some of these...
The Truth about Long Jing Dragonwell Green Tea
It is difficult to discuss the differences between each kind of tea without using the term “processing,” but unfortunately, this word conjures to mind a host of negative associations. Usually...
Celebrate Summer: How to Throw a Tea Party
Do you need an excuse to get together with some friends and family? Consider a fun, retro idea: throwing a tea party. A tea party creates an excellent event for...
Some Ideas to Pair Your Favorite Food with Tea
Tea can be enjoyed on nearly every occasion, but perhaps one of the best times to unwind with your favorite cup is when you get a chance to pair it...
Why Jasmine Tea is Perfect for Relaxation
For the health-conscious consumer, opening oneself up to the world of tea proves to be an excellent decision. Whether or not one puts faith into the many positive studies on...
Victoria's Tea Travels (2017) - Chaozhou City
Last week, Victoria traveled to Chaozhou City, located in eastern Guangdong Province and not far from Phoenix Mountain, most famous for producing Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong teas. Chaozhou boasts an...
What is Dark Tea?
For those new to tea drinking, it often comes as a surprise to learn that there are categories of tea beyond green and black teas. Thanks in no small part...
Victoria's Tea Travels (2017) - Wudong Mountain, Pt. II
Today, we look at the rest of Victoria's visit to Wudong Mountain from a week and a half ago where she was in source of some wonderful Phoenix Dan Cong...
Victoria's Tea Travels (2017) - Wudong Mountain
Victoria recently traveled to Fenghuang City in the Guangdong Province of China in search of the best Phoenix Dan Cong oolong teas she could find! This journey took her to...
Victoria's Tea Sourcing Trip 2017 - Fengqing, Yunnan Pt. II
Not only is the 3,200 year-old puerh tree located in Fengqing, Yunnan, but it is where you can find other majestic and breath-taking sights as well. In the second week...
How to Clean Your Teaware
Loose leaf tea can be an invitation into a world of grace, beauty, elegance, and thoughtfulness. One cannot help but notice the color and expanded shape of the freshly-infused tea...
Victoria's Tea Sourcing Trip 2017 - Fengqing, Yunnan
Recently, Victoria traveled to Fengqing, Yunnan to see a 3,200 year old puerh tea tree, said to be the oldest puerh tree. This particular tree made its rounds across the...
A Look at the Emerging Trend of Tea and Food Pairing
While many tea and beverage enthusiasts might know that tea and wine have some things in common, such as the importance of terroir in influencing aromas and flavors, people are...
Victoria's Tea Sourcing Trip 2017 - Meng Ding Mountain, Sichuan
This is the first in a series of photocentric blog posts sharing some of Victoria's adventures for the year! Here's a look at her journey to Mengding Mountain, the origin...
Should You Microwave Your Tea?
Articles have been making their rounds across the internet recently, such as one by Huffington Post, which appear to be citing an Australian study from the University of Newcastle that...
Spring Harvest Highlights - Huo Shan Yellow Tea
The spring season brings with it not only nicer weather and lively scenery, but new harvests of teas! We are all quite antsy to see (and taste) the new spring...
The Gaiwan Purchasing Guide - Part Two
In our previous post, we discussed some of the necessary features to look for when purchasing a gaiwan and why those features are important. Today, we’ll look at the relevance...
The Gaiwan Purchasing Guide - Part One
For new tea drinkers, and even some seasoned ones, the gaiwan (or “lidded bowl”) can look intimidating and confusing. After all, why not just settle for the convenience of a...
Tea Spotlight: Award Winning Keemun Imperial Gongfu Black Tea
We are proud to announce that our Keemun Imperial Gongfu Black Tea is a winner in the 2017 Global Tea Championship!!! Keemun is considered one of the world’s...
Why True Origin Tea?
“An orange grown in the south of the river is an orange, but grown in the north, it is a tangerine” - from an ancient Chinese poem. Last week, we...
Why Single Origin Tea?
The spring is near around the corner, my annual tea sourcing trip is coming up. This year the weather has been warmer so the harvest season is coming earlier. I...
Exploring the Depths of Aged White Tea
Aged white tea is a strange concept to many in the West. We’ve become very familiar with puerhs and many of us understand how well they tend to age over...
Tea Storage 201: Properly Storing Your Tea
In our previous two posts, we looked a little at what oxidation means and at how tea is processed and prepared. In today’s post, we’re going to continue to apply...
How Tea is Made
Sometimes when we see the price of high-quality tea, we wonder whether it’s worth it. We think the taste speaks for itself, but that’s not the only thing that’s taken...
Tea Storage 101: Tips for Avoiding Stale Tea
Once you open your package of tea, with the exception of pu-erh and aged teas, many of your loose leaf teas have a shelf life. Many of them can go...
Tea to Go: The Benefits of Tea Travel Set
We sometimes encounter a bit of frustration when there isn’t the time or means to enjoy a cup of tea at home, wishing we could share a great loose leaf...
Tea and Your Health: The Effects of Tea on Blood Pressure
Scientific studies have become notoriously problematic for many to interpret, and the media are partly responsible for reporting on single studies in isolation, usually failing to comment on the strength...
The Importance of Water Quality in Brewing Tea
Has your tea ever tasted “flat”, bitter, or like chemicals? While purchasing inferior or questionable tea can certainly make for a poor tea drinking experience, another thing to consider is...
A Guide to Wuyi Rock Oolongs
In the northwestern region of Fujian Province one can find a complex family of oolong teas known as “yancha” (or “rock tea”). This rugged environment features steep rocky cliffs and...
Caffeine Levels in Tea
Have you ever wondered about the caffeine content in your cup of tea? There’s a lot of misinformation out there regarding the relationship between you, your tea, and caffeine, and...
Tips on Drinking Tea: Don’t Let Milk Spoil Your Tea
It is a common practice amongst the English to drink their tea with some milk and sugar. While this might be an English tradition, it is certainly not the way...
Joie De Vivre: Jun Ci Porcelain 钧瓷
Perhaps no time in Chinese history was more vibrant than that during the Song Dynasty, which lasted from the 10th to the 13th centuries. During this period, China experienced an...
Tea Time: How to Select the Right Teaware
So you want to brew some of your loose leaf tea. How do you select your teaware? For many, it is simply an emotional choice, but if you want to...
Yellow Tea: The Liquid Gold Historically Reserved for Royalty
Those of us new to the world of loose leaf tea are usually surprised to find that tea can be classified into more than just green and black tea varieties....
Tea Spotlight: Jingmai Mangjing Ancient Tree Loose Leaf Gu Shu Puerh
Last week, we discussed what makes puerh tea unique and mentioned some of the health benefits one might enjoy from adding puerh to one’s daily tea drinking rituals. ...
Pu'erh Tea Fundamentals: What Is Pu'erh Tea and Why is it Special?
Puerh tea originated in the Yunnan Province in China, somewhere around the 4th Century. In fact, it derives its name from Pu’er City, which is located in southern Yunnan Province....
Honey in a Cup: Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea
On the north side of Huang Shan Mountain is the home of one of China’s ten famous teas, a wild-foraged Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea, the bushes of which...
Tea Spotlight: Award Winning Lu An Gua Pian Chinese Green Tea
We are proud to announce that our Liu An Gua Pian (“Sunflower Seeds”) Green Tea is a winner in the 2016 North American Tea Championship!!! What makes...
What You Need to Know About the World's First Black Tea Lapsang Souchong Black Tea
What is Lapsang Souchong black tea? There’s a good chance that you’ve never had true Lapsang tea. (If you have, count yourself among the blessed!) Lapsang...
Fuding Silver Needle Chinese White Tea: Bai Hao Yi Zhen
Silver Needle white tea is often known as the “king” of white tea, and for good reasons. In terms of appearance, Silver Needle white tea has a beautiful, uniform appearance,...
Art of Preparing Tea II
In the Art of Preparing Tea I, we discussed why different tea preparation techniques can be useful and introduced two of them. Today’s entry will focus on Gongfu Style and...
The Tao of Tea: Part Three (Art of Preparing Tea )
In the previous entry, I wanted to set up the parameters for how to brew tea well. While much is permitted, there are still ways in which one can go...
The Tao of Tea: Part Two (Science of Preparing Tea)
In the previous entry, I suggested that one needs a certain kind of playfulness when preparing tea and I encouraged experimentation. In this post, I want to discuss some important...
The Tao of Tea: Part One (Philosophy of Preparing Tea)
Preparing tea is like contemplating the perfect circle. What is a perfect circle after all? To a philosopher like Plato, it is because of the perfect form that things come...
Jian Zhan Tea Cup - Looking At The Cosmos in a Cup of Tea
Teaware plays an indispensable role in my tea drinking experience. In fact, aesthetics is inseparable from the act of drinking it. From the beginning to the end, from the weighing...
The Connoisseur’s Tea Tasting Guide
So you feel like you’re somewhat familiar with the differences in tea by region and you have a grasp on more advanced tea tasting guidelines, but now you’re wondering how...
Tea Tasting Guide: How to Improve Your Palate
I’ve offered some tasting recommendations and guidelines for a beginner and an enthusiast. Before recommending more advanced tastings for tea connoisseurs, I thought it best to speak a little about...
The Enthusiast's Tea Tasting Guide (part 2 of 3)
In the previous entry, we looked at why we should be tasting tea and discussed how a beginner might want to proceed. I suggested that the best way for someone...
The Beginner's Tea Tasting Guide (part 1 of 3)
If you’re anything like me, your tea adventure may have started with the “Chai Latté.” It was the first tea that I can remember tasting appreciably different from all of...
The Secret to Amazing Iced Tea - Cold Brew!
Beat the heat with a great home-made cold brew! For an amazingly refreshing, full-flavored and healthy iced tea experience, we recommend a cold-brew of our premium Anji Bai Cha green...
A Princess in the Deep Valley - Tai Pin Hou Kui Green Tea
Tai Pin Hou Kui is one of the top ten most famous Chinese teas, it became world famous when it won the gold prize for teas at the Panama World...
How Liu An Gua Pian Green Tea Is Made
During my tea trek in April 2016, I had the pleasure of visiting Jinzai county, the core production area of the famous Liu An Sunflower Seeds green tea in Liu An, Anhui province...
The King of Puerh Tea Lao Ban Zhang
Greetings from the Lao Ban Zhang village, the home of the renowned "King of Puerh" tea! Victoria's current tea trek has taken her to Bulang Mountain, Yunnan province, where...
Is Decaf Tea Good For Me?
Decaffeination is the process of removing caffeine from tea leaves. One would assume that decaffeinated tea would not contain any caffeine; however, the decaf label only means that caffeine has...
The Health Benefits of White Tea
There is a Chinese saying about Fuding white tea: "year one a tea, year three a medicine, and year seven a treasure". Chinese folk tradition used white tea to help...
How Many Types of White Tea
In our previous blog The True Origin of White Tea, we know that white tea has gained its popularity in recent decades and has been grown in other parts of China...
The True Origin of Chinese White Tea
White tea is "unprocessed" tea, as after plucking, it is simply dried naturally under the sun or air-dried, depending on the weather or the producer’s preference. The making of white tea...
Chinese New Year Celebration, What Is the Tradition?
It is the Year of Monkey! Kong Hei Fa Cai! Chinese Lunar New Year, also called Spring Festival or interchangeably called Guo Nican (New Year’s Celebration), is the single most important holiday...
The Spirit of Tea in the Chinese Tea Mountains
During my tea trips to the hillsides of the Chinese tea mountains, I had the privilege of meeting many farmers, tea masters, tea lovers, and tea merchants. I loved their smiles, warmth...
The True Origin of the First Black Tea, Lapsang Souchong
As part of our mission to bring you the finest teas from their historical origins, I am currently traveling throughout China and have arrived at legendary Tong Mu Guan village in...
How to Prepare Gongfu Tea Step by Step
Gongfu tea is a way of making tea, which incorporates certain methods for brewing, appreciating, serving and getting the best out of the tea. There are two methods to brew...
About MeiMei Fine Teas - World's Best Chinese Tea
While most tea businesses are focusing on a wide variety of teas and featuring herbal and fruity blends, we have chosen to refine our focus on what we consider to...