What Is the Tea Used in Chinese Restaurants? Unveiling the Traditional Brews​

What Is the Tea Used in Chinese Restaurants?

If you’ve ever sipped that warm, comforting tea served at a Chinese restaurant and found yourself wondering “What exactly is this tea?”, you’re not alone. That delicate aroma, slightly floral taste, and soothing warmth are all part of the dining experience, yet few people know the name of the tea or the tradition behind it.

The answer isn’t always one-size-fits-all, but there is a reason why this tea is served so consistently across Chinese eateries worldwide. Whether you’re enjoying a cozy takeout meal or a bustling dim sum brunch, that cup of tea plays a bigger role than you might think.

In this article, we’ll uncover:

• The exact type of tea commonly served in Chinese restaurants 🍵
• Why this tea is chosen and what makes it so special
• Other traditional Chinese teas you might encounter
• The cultural roots and health benefits tied to this practice
• How you can recreate the same tea experience at home

Whether you’re a tea lover, a foodie, or simply curious, this guide will give you a deeper appreciation for something you’ve probably taken for granted at the table. So, let’s lift the lid on that teapot and explore the warm tradition inside.

💡 Fun Fact: The tea served at most Chinese restaurants is more than a beverage, it’s part of an age-old custom that dates back thousands of years.

The Most Common Tea Used in Chinese Restaurants

So, what’s that fragrant, golden brew poured into your cup as you sit down for sweet and sour chicken or a basket of steaming dumplings?

The most common tea served in Chinese restaurants is jasmine tea. 🌼

This isn’t just any jasmine tea, it’s typically a green tea base infused with jasmine blossom aroma, creating a soft, floral scent and a light, slightly sweet flavor that pairs effortlessly with a wide variety of dishes.

☑️ Why Jasmine Tea?

• Flavor balance: Its gentle taste complements the richness of many Chinese dishes without overpowering them.
• Cleanses the palate: Great between bites of spicy or greasy food (looking at you, General Tso’s).
• Cultural tradition: Jasmine tea is one of the most celebrated teas in Chinese culture and has been served with meals for centuries.
• Widely available and affordable: It’s easy to source in bulk, making it practical for restaurants.

🍽️ Jasmine Tea & Food: A Perfect Pairing

From Cantonese stir-fries to Sichuan hotpots, jasmine tea works well with almost any dish. Its light body and floral aroma refresh the mouth, especially when eating heavier or oily foods. That’s why you’ll often see it served at the beginning of the meal—and refilled generously throughout.

🔍 Did you know? Traditional Chinese meals aim to balance yin and yang in food. Jasmine tea, with its calming and cooling properties, is believed to help harmonize this balance.

🏷️ Common Forms of Jasmine Tea in Restaurants:

• Loose leaf jasmine green tea: Higher-end restaurants may use loose leaf for a richer experience.
• Tea bags: Many restaurants opt for convenience with bagged jasmine tea, which still offers great aroma and flavor.
• Jasmine pearls: Occasionally found in upscale places, these are hand-rolled tea leaves infused with jasmine flowers.

Other Traditional Teas You Might Encounter in Chinese Restaurants

While jasmine tea may be the star of the show, it’s far from the only tea served in Chinese dining. Depending on the region, restaurant style, or even the type of meal (like dim sum vs. dinner), you might be treated to a variety of traditional brews, each with its own flavor, health perks, and cultural backstory.

Here are some of the other classic teas that occasionally make their way to your teacup.

Oolong Tea

• Oolong tea sits somewhere between green and black tea, partially fermented, giving it a rich, complex flavor with hints of fruit, floral, or roasted notes.
• Popular in Cantonese dim sum restaurants and often enjoyed for its digestion-aiding properties.
• Less floral than jasmine, but deep and satisfying, especially with fried or grilled dishes.

💡 Oolong tea is a staple in southern Chinese provinces like Guangdong and Fujian, where it’s often brewed strong and poured into tiny cups.

🌼 Chrysanthemum Tea

• Unlike oolong or jasmine, chrysanthemum tea is caffeine-free and technically a tisane (herbal infusion) made from dried chrysanthemum flowers.
• Light, floral, slightly sweet, and served hot or cold.
• Often combined with rock sugar or even mixed with pu-erh tea for a more complex drink.
• Traditionally believed to cool the body and help with headaches or high blood pressure.

🌱 Pu-erh Tea

• Deep, earthy, and rich, pu-erh tea is a fermented tea that’s aged like fine wine.
• Often served in more traditional or high-end Chinese restaurants, particularly after heavy meals.
• It’s known for aiding digestion and reducing cholesterol, making it a favorite for health-conscious diners.
• Has a bold, slightly bitter taste that pairs well with fatty dishes or roasted meats.

🧊 Honorable Mentions:

• Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy): A premium oolong with floral notes.
• Liu Bao Tea: Another fermented black tea, similar to pu-erh but less common.
• Boiled tea blends (with goji berries, red dates, or ginseng): Found in more medicinal or northern-style restaurants.

🌍 Why Variety Matters

China is home to thousands of tea varieties, and regional preferences influence what’s served. For instance:

• Northern China may serve stronger black teas.
• Southern China leans toward floral or fermented teas.
• Dim sum houses in Hong Kong often give customers a choice of tea before the meal starts.

🍽️ Pro tip: If you’re at a dim sum restaurant, ask for the “tea menu”, you might be surprised by how many options they offer.

Why Do Chinese Restaurants Serve Tea?

Have you ever noticed that tea is often brought to the table before you even order your food in a Chinese restaurant? Unlike Western dining, where drinks are typically chosen and paid for, tea is almost always offered freely and automatically, but why?

The answer lies in a blend of cultural tradition, health philosophy, and a deep respect for hospitality.

🌏 A Cultural Gesture of Welcome

In Chinese culture, offering tea is a universal sign of respect and welcome. Whether you’re entering someone’s home or sitting down at a restaurant, serving tea is one of the oldest and most honorable customs, dating back thousands of years.

• It shows that you’re being cared for as a guest, not just a customer.
• It sets a calm, grounded tone for the meal.
• It reflects the hospitality roots of traditional Chinese service, where nurturing the guest’s experience is everything.

🍵 In Chinese families, offering tea is often one of the first things you do when someone visits your home, restaurant service extends this gesture to the public.

🧘‍♂️ Tea for Digestion and Balance

Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that food should nourish the body and create balance (yin and yang). Many Chinese meals include rich, fried, or oily ingredients, which are delicious, but also harder to digest. Tea, especially jasmine, pu-erh, or oolong, is believed to:

• Aid digestion
• Reduce greasiness and bloating
• Cleanse the palate between bites
• Support energy flow (qi)

Restaurants serve tea before and during the meal to make the experience healthier and more harmonious, something many diners don’t even realize they’re benefiting from.

💸 Economical and Efficient for Restaurants

Beyond tradition, there are also practical reasons for this custom:

• Tea is inexpensive to prepare in large quantities.
• It eliminates the need for sugary sodas or alcohol for those who don’t want it.
• A warm drink encourages people to relax and enjoy the experience (aka linger longer, order more).
• In fast-paced environments like dim sum houses, tea also keeps guests satisfied while waiting for food.

🍽️ Fun Tip: In Hong Kong, it’s customary to rinse your teacup and chopsticks with the first pour of tea, then drink the second pour.

🙏 A Ritual, Not Just a Beverage

When you sit down and receive a pot of tea, you’re not just being offered a drink. You’re being welcomed into a living tradition, one that blends history, health, and human connection. From grand banquets to casual takeout joints, this simple act carries centuries of meaning, and it’s one of the most beautiful aspects of Chinese cuisine.

Can You Buy and Brew This Tea at Home? Absolutely! Here’s How

After enjoying that warm, fragrant cup of tea in a Chinese restaurant, it’s totally normal to think, “I want this at home!” Good news? You don’t need a commercial kitchen or a professional tea master to recreate the experience.

You just need the right tea, a few simple tools, and a little know-how.

🛍️ Where to Buy Authentic Chinese Teas

You can find quality Chinese teas both in-store and online. Here’s where to look:

• Asian supermarkets: H-Mart, 99 Ranch Market, or local Chinese grocery stores often carry popular brands.
• Online retailers: Amazon, Ten Ren, Teavivre, and Yunnan Sourcing offer authentic loose-leaf and bagged teas.
• Tea shops: Many specialty tea stores now carry Chinese teas, look for words like “jasmine pearls,” “Tieguanyin,” or “dragon well.”

🍵 Brewing Chinese Restaurant-Style Tea at Home

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to recreate the taste of that teapot on your table:

🔹 What You’ll Need:

• Loose leaf tea or high-quality tea bags
• Filtered water
• A teapot or heatproof glass pitcher
• Optional: a gaiwan (traditional Chinese lidded bowl) for a more authentic method

🔹 Brewing Instructions:

1. Boil water, then let it cool slightly (about 175–185°F for green teas like jasmine, 195°F for oolong or pu-erh).
2. Add 1 teaspoon of loose tea per cup (or 1 tea bag per person).
3. Steep for 2–3 minutes (longer for oolong or pu-erh, shorter for jasmine).
4. Strain and serve, preferably in small cups for that real Chinese feel.
5. Re-steep up to 2–3 times; many Chinese teas are designed for multiple infusions.

☕ Pro Tip: Don’t over-steep jasmine tea, doing so can make it bitter. Keep it light and floral!

🧂 Optional Add-Ins (and What to Avoid)

To keep it authentic, skip the milk and sugar. Chinese teas are served pure to allow the natural aroma and health benefits to shine.

However, here are a few traditional extras you might experiment with:

• Rock sugar (especially in chrysanthemum tea)
• Dried goji berries or red dates for a sweeter, earthy infusion
• Lemon peel or ginger for a warming touch

Avoid:

• Dairy (this isn’t milk tea!)
• Artificial sweeteners
• Overbrewing (it ruins the flavor profile)

🏡 Create the Experience

• Use a small teapot and tiny cups for slow sipping.
• Brew a pot before meals, or even during a movie night with dumplings.
• Light incense or play soft guzheng music to set the mood (why not? 😉)

🎋 Remember: It’s not just about drinking tea, it’s about creating a moment.

Health Benefits of the Teas Served in Chinese Restaurants

You might think of tea as just a warm, comforting drink served alongside your meal, but traditional Chinese teas are actually packed with benefits that go far beyond taste. In fact, many of the teas commonly served in Chinese restaurants have been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to support digestion, energy, and overall wellness.

Let’s take a closer look at why that simple cup of tea is actually one of the healthiest things on the table.

💚 Jasmine Tea: Antioxidant-Rich and Soothing

• High in antioxidants: Helps combat oxidative stress and inflammation.
• Supports heart health: Some studies suggest it may help lower cholesterol.
• Promotes relaxation: The floral scent can calm nerves and reduce anxiety.
• Boosts metabolism: Often recommended for gentle fat burning when paired with healthy eating.

🌼 Bonus: Jasmine tea is made from green tea, so it offers many of the same benefits, with a more delicate flavor.

🔥 Oolong Tea: The Metabolism Booster

• Improves digestion: Slightly fermented, which aids in breaking down heavy meals.
• May help with weight management: Studies show oolong may increase fat oxidation.
• Regulates blood sugar: Helpful for people managing insulin sensitivity.
• Good for gut health: Contains polyphenols that support healthy gut bacteria.

🍽️ No wonder it’s a favorite in dim sum houses!

🌸 Chrysanthemum Tea: Cooling and Caffeine-Free

• Caffeine-free: Great for sensitive drinkers or evening sipping.
• Anti-inflammatory: Used in TCM for reducing internal heat and inflammation.
• Eye health support: Traditionally believed to soothe tired or dry eyes.
• Immune booster: Contains vitamin C and flavonoids.

🌼 Often used to balance out spicy or fried dishes with its cooling nature.

🌱 Pu-erh Tea: Gut Health and Detox

Keywords: pu-erh tea benefits, fermented Chinese tea health, digestive tea

• Fermented & probiotic: Great for gut flora and digestive health.
• Reduces cholesterol: Known for helping lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol).
• Detoxifying: Thought to cleanse the blood and liver in TCM.
• Smooths digestion: Especially after greasy meals.

💡 Pu-erh is often aged, the older, the better. Some high-end versions are decades old and prized like fine wine.

⚖️ Balance, Not Hype

Unlike fad health drinks, Chinese teas aren’t consumed for instant results. They’re part of a long-term, balanced lifestyle approach rooted in centuries of tradition. By sipping these teas regularly, you’re not just enjoying flavor, you’re gently supporting your body in ways modern science is only beginning to fully understand.

Final Thoughts: Embracing the Tradition of Tea in Chinese Dining

Tea in Chinese restaurants is more than just a beverage; it’s a comforting ritual, a nod to centuries of tradition, and a perfect companion to a flavorful meal. From the delicate floral notes of jasmine tea to the earthy richness of pu-erh, each cup tells a story steeped in culture, wellness, and hospitality.

Whether you’re dining out or recreating the experience at home, understanding the types of tea served, their unique benefits, and the reasons behind this age-old practice allows you to savor your next sip with greater appreciation. It’s not just tea, it’s tradition in a teacup.

FAQ: Common Questions About Tea in Chinese Restaurants

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