What is the Tea Used in Chinese Restaurants? A Traveler’s Guide

Published: March 06,2025 . Lynn Foster

Since ancient times, Chinese are quite famous for their unconditional love for tea. China is home to different types of tea that are exported all over the world. If you are a tea lover and making preparations to go to China, you may think about what is the tea used in Chinese restaurants?

The local culture of China represents different types of tea that you should try as a tea lover. Almost in every restaurant, tea is served with sweetness, affection & love.

In this blog post, we are going to share what is the tea used in Chinese restaurants reddit with different teak types.

Keep reading!

Table of Contents

What is the Tea Used in Chinese Restaurants?

Tea is a significant part of Chinese dining culture. If you want to enjoy hot cup of tea at a Chinese restaurant and wondered about which type is best, you are not alone. When travelers go to China, they do not have any idea about which option to try & which not to.

There are different types of teas served at Chinese restaurants like Jasmine Green Tea, Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea, Pu erh tea and Chrysanthemum tea. All of these are best in rich taste, quality and easily digest your meal.

Let’s discuss these types in detail.

The Role of Tea in Chinese Dining

Wondering why is Chinese restaurant tea so good? Let me explain the role of tea in Chinese dining as a local culture. In China, tea is basically a symbol of three words i.e., hospitality, tradition, and well-being. Here are some reasons why tea is so important in Chinese dining.

In Chinese restaurants, tea normally shows a symbol of hospitality and it is served as a welcome drink.
Tea is commonly popular for the purpose of enhancing overall dining experience.
It helps in digest your meal and provide multiple health benefits.
In various Chinese restaurants, the teapot is frequently refilled to make sure the fresh supply of tea.
Tea pouring etiquette and finger tapping gesture are two of the famous traditions of Chinese culture.

Types of Tea Served in Chinese Restaurants

1. Jasmine Tea

Jasmine tea is the most popular choice and best Chinese restaurant tea. This tea is made bybrewing some jasmine flowers leaves in green or black tea to give tea unique and different flavor.

Almost in all Chinese restaurants, this tea is commonly used because of increasing demand and unbeatable tea taste.

Used Flavors

Sweet, floral, and fragrant.

Why it’s Popular?

Light and refreshing beverage which well pairs its taste with most Chinese cuisines.

Tea Recipe

Mix leaf-jasmine tea and filtered water.
Brew at 175°F for only 4-5 minutes and serve hot.

2. Oolong Tea

For balanced and aromatic feel, Oolong Tea is one of the best options. The color of this tea is black in nature but lightweight because of semi-oxidized nature. The aroma of this tea is paired with musky & moody flavor, a great combination with Chinese local dishes.

Flavor Profile

Fruity, tasty and smoothy.

Why it’s Popular?

Because of semi-oxidized nature that makes it best for food digestion.

Tea Recipe

Mix loose-leaf oolong tea, honey and steamed milk.
Brew at 195°F for only 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, add steamed milk with honey topping.

3. Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh Tea is a type of digestive tea with multiple healthy benefits and served with healthy meals. This tea is grown and cultivated in Chinese province named as “Yunnan” with the purpose to export all over the world. You can taste this tea in only high-end and luxurious restaurants as this is expensive.

Flavor

Little bit sweet, bold and earthy.

Why it’s Popular?

After eating heavy meal or spicy dishes that are hard to digest, you should drink this tea for better digestion.

Tea Recipe

Mix Pu-erh tea, lemon slices, and honey.
Brew at 200°F for only 3 minutes. After, add a lemon slice with honey.

4. Blended Teas

As the name suggests, this tea is a mixture of different varieties that restaurants often sell as their specialty. This tea is prepared by mixing different flavors with unique taste buds. It is best to try blended tea when you try other tea varieties.

Robust Flavor

Combine chrysanthemum & Pu-erh tea as one combination.
Other varieties may include jasmine tea, flower tea, and white tea.

Why it’s Popular?

This tea is popular because of having each restaurant’s specialty.

What is the hot tea served at Chinese restaurants?

Some other hot teas at Chinese restaurants are:

Green tea made with green tea leaves and dry leaves
Chrysanthemum tea made with Chrysanthemum flowers
Tieguanyin
Golden Yunnan black tea

How to Enjoy Tea Like a Local?

What is the tea used in Chinese restaurants near me? You can enjoy tea like a local with these tips.

Understand Chinese tea etiquette by observing meaningful gestures like finger tapping gesture for gratitude and never let someone’s cup go empty.
Prefer the perfect way to sip tea which includes hold the cup correctly, appreciate aroma first and don’t add sugar or milk.
Choose the right tea for occasion like jasmine, dark Oolong, Pu-erh and green tea.
Master the art of tea refills by communicating with locals.
Look for spots from where you can enjoy tea like a local like Dynasty Chinese Restaurant tea, tea markets and street-side tea stalls.

Where to Buy Chinese Restaurant Tea?

You can buy Chinese restaurant tea at different retailers like.

Hmart
Amazon
Walmart

In China, you can buy Chinese restaurant tea from:

Seven Cups Fine Chinese Teas
Green Tea
Teazona Dumpling and Noodle Asian Kitchen
The Chinese Tea Shop

These places are designated for Chinese tea and best places for travelers who like Chinese tea and want to purchase some quantity before leaving China.

Final Thoughts!

What is the tea used in Chinese restaurants? Not only Chinese restaurants have the best varieties of tea but also the Chinese restaurants offer delicious local cuisines that is hard to find in any traditional Chinese restaurant.

Whether you go to China for business or leisure purposes, it is recommended to take sip of your favorite range of flavors. This is the perfect way to know about Chinese culture in depth. Hope you enjoyed this blog post and get an idea what you need to do next time when exploring China.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What type of tea do Chinese restaurants use?

Jasmine tea
Chrysanthemum tea
Pu-erh tea
Oolong tea

2. What tea is used in Chinese tea?

Post-fermented, mix of oolong, black and yellow teas are normally used in Chinese tea. All of these come from Camellia sinensis plant.

3. What tea do they serve at Dim Sum?

At Dim Sum restaurants, pu’erh, jasmine, and chrysanthemum, all these are popular types of teas are served with pure affection and welcoming atmosphere.