Modern Chinese Tea

What it is

Most tea experiences show you a ceremony almost nobody performs at home. This one shows you what is actually on a Changsha desk in 2026.

We brew the same leaves two ways — the classic gaiwan, then a smart tea machine that does the timing and temperature for you — and taste the difference side by side. Along the way you meet Hunan's own dark tea from Anhua, and learn enough to order confidently at a tea shop.

Highlights

• Side-by-side: hand-brewed gaiwan vs. a modern tea machine
• Taste green, black and Hunan dark tea (安化黑茶)
• Decode a Chinese tea-shop menu: sugar levels, ice levels, toppings
• Take home a small pack of the tea you liked best

How the time goes

1. 0:00The leaves: what makes green, black and dark tea different.
2. 0:15Brew by hand in a gaiwan. Timing, temperature, pouring.
3. 0:30Same tea, brewed by machine. Taste and compare.
4. 0:45How to order tea in China — from teahouses to bubble-tea chains.

Included

• Three teas, brewed two ways
• Snacks to go with the tea
• A small take-home tea pack

Not included

• Transport to the venue

Good to know

• Booked with Mahjong, the Changsha Way? Add the full tea session at the add-on price.
• Curious about the tea machine itself? Ask Jamie — happy to show you how it works and where to get one.