When you walk into a tea house for the first time, or open a page full of teas, it's normal not to know where to start. The good news: there is no “right” tea, only the right tea for you at a given moment. Here are four questions to help you choose.
1. Do you want caffeine or not?
This is the first question, because it divides teas into two worlds.
- With caffeine: green tea, black tea, white and yellow tea, Pu Erh, maté and matcha. They suit the morning and lunchtime.
- Caffeine-free: rooibos, fruit teas, herbal infusions and most Ayurvedic blends. You can drink them any time, including in the evening.
How much caffeine does each kind of tea have?
On a scale from 0 to 5, as we use it at the Sakura tea house:
- 0 – caffeine-free: rooibos, honeybush, fruit, herbal and Ayurvedic teas.
- 1 – very little: hojicha, the roasted Japanese green tea.
- 2 – low: white tea.
- 3 – moderate: green, yellow and oolong tea.
- 4 – high: black tea, Pu Erh and maté.
- 5 – very high: matcha, because you drink the whole leaf, ground.
The actual amount in a cup also depends on how much tea you use and how long you steep it: the longer you steep, the more caffeine passes into the water.
2. Which flavours do you like?
If you like fruit and natural sweetness, start with a fruit tea such as Magic Mango or Grandma's Garden. They have vivid colours and are excellent as iced tea in summer too.
If you like coffee or chocolate, try a flavoured black tea such as Salty Caramel or a rooibos like Orange Chocolate.
If you want something fresh and light, choose a green tea: China Jasmine for the scent of jasmine or Lemon Fresh for citrus notes.
If you like spices, a chai or an Ayurvedic blend such as Black Chai or Yoga Tea Organic will warm your cold evenings. Many are delicious with milk.
If you like desserts, look for rooibos and teas with notes of vanilla, caramel, nuts or pistachio, such as Oriental Pistachio Chocolate or Baklava. They have the sweetness of a cake without its calories.
3. What time of day will you drink it?
- Morning: a full-bodied black tea like Five o'Clock Tea, or a green tea if you prefer something gentler.
- After a meal: Pu Erh or an infusion with ginger and mint.
- Evening: calming herbal infusions such as Chamomile or Relaxing Garden Organic.
4. How much time do you have to prepare it?
Green and white teas need a little care: water at 75–80°C and 2–3 minutes of steeping, otherwise they turn bitter. Fruit teas, rooibos and herbal teas are more forgiving: water at 100°C and 5–12 minutes. On each tea's page you'll find the exact amount, water temperature and steeping time.
How much tea to use per cup
For a 250 ml cup:
- White, yellow, green, Pu Erh tea and rooibos: one heaped teaspoon (4.5 g).
- Black tea: one teaspoon (3 g).
- Fruit, herbal and organic teas: two heaped teaspoons (7 g).
- Ayurvedic teas: two teaspoons (6 g).
If you'd rather not guess the amount, use our measuring spoon and paper filters for loose-leaf tea.
Common beginner mistakes
- Boiling water on green tea. Let the water cool for 2–3 minutes after it boils.
- Steeping too long. A black tea left for 10 minutes becomes astringent. Use a timer.
- Too little fruit tea. Dried fruit is light and bulky, so you need more than you might think.
- Keeping tea next to spices or coffee. Tea leaves easily absorb the smells around them.
The simplest way to start
If you still can't decide, pick two or three 50 g bags from different categories, for example a green tea, a rooibos and a fruit tea. That way you'll quickly discover what you like. And if you want a safe starting point, look at our Bestsellers collection, with the teas that guests at the Sakura tea house choose again and again.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tea for beginners?
A fruit tea or a flavoured rooibos: they are easy to make, don't turn bitter if you leave them longer and have a pleasant, rounded taste.
Which teas can I drink in the evening?
Caffeine-free ones: rooibos, honeybush, fruit and herbal infusions and most Ayurvedic blends.
Can I brew a tea twice?
Yes, especially good-quality green, white and oolong teas. The second infusion usually needs an extra minute. Fruit and herbal teas give everything they have in the first infusion.
How long does loose-leaf tea keep?
Tightly closed, in a dry, dark place, tea keeps its aroma for months. Green and white teas are the most delicate, so it's best to drink them sooner. You'll find the best-before date on the packaging.
Have a question? Write to us or call us on 0755 660 000 and we'll help you choose. If you're in Suceava, you can collect your order free of charge from the Sakura tea house. And if you've tasted a tea you loved at Sakura, you can take it home too, to share with the people you love or to give as a gift.