If you want to try the best Chinese green tea, TeaVivre is a brand that could be exactly what you are looking for. The brand is all about premium quality, freshness and superior tea experience.
I’ve tried a selection of their green teas and I am really impressed. You will see why after you read my review below. It’s worth mentioning that Teavivre also offer other tea types such as black tea and more (if green tea is not your favourite type of tea). All their teas are sourced from some of the best tea gardens in the world.
To learn more about Teavivre and their teas continue reading and see why you should give them a try.
About TeaVivre
I just love the story behind how Teavivre started. The founder, Angel Chen, wanted to find the best Chinese tea she can find so she started visiting the best tea regions, farms and producers to find what she was looking for. On her journeys, she learnt all about tea planting, harvesting and best brewing techniques. She learnt from expert tea farmers and tea makers, all this to bring the finest teas directly to you, a consumer.
The brand was established in 2011 and today it is going strong winning an award after an award every year. Recently, for example, their Nonpareil Wudong Ya Shi Xiang Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea has won the Gold Medal at The Golden Leaf Awards ceremony, the premier tea award event in Australia. And their Superfine Jasmine Downy Dragon Pearls Green Tea won the 2nd place in 2016 Gold Medal Tea Competition in Canada, just to mention a few of the awards they won.
Teavivre’s teas are sourced from farms which meet high international standards:
- The European low pesticide residues standard
- Organic Certification including USDA Certification
- EU Certification
- JAS Certification (The Japanese Agricultural Standards)
The strict standards Teavivre follow mean that, for example, organic tea must be grown on chemical-, pesticide-, and herbicide-free soil for at least 10 years.
The JAS Organic Certification means that organic tea is certified by a Japanese organisation registered with the Ministry of Agriculture of Japan (MAFF). To ensure compliance, JAS inspectors visit the tea plantations yearly and do all the necessary analysis so that the tea retains its organic certification.
Not all the teas from Teavivre are certified organic but they ensure that they source their teas only from the best tea regions, away from pollution and they always work in harmony with nature.
What’s not to love about Teavivre’s teas?
How to purchase the best quality Chinese green tea
If you ever wondered what makes a good Chinese green tea and what things you should consider to buy only the best quality, here is what you should know:
Smaller tea leaves are better
Smaller and younger tea leaves are more valuable as the contain more flavour and a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals than older leaves. So if you compare the same type of green tea from two different producers and one of these teas has larger tea leaves than the other, the one with smaller leaves will be of better quality.
The quality of tea leaves
The tea leaves should be uniform in size and if you notice bigger leaves mixed with smaller leaves, this is a sign of lower quality. There should be no or very little tea dust and there shouldn’t be any stalks or stems.
How the tea has been harvested is important
If you want the best quality Chinese green tea, avoid any producers that use machines during their harvest. That’s because tea leaves easily get broken and bruised when picked by machines and this affects their quality and antioxidants levels. Hand-plucked green tea will be of better quality although this also means it will be more expensive.
Freshness is crucial
The best Chinese green tea will be the one which is the freshest. This tea will contain more antioxidants, more flavour and will certainly be better for your health.
If you look at loose leaf tea leaves and they are not green at all (not even dark green), then you know this is not a very fresh tea. You can also tell by the scent. So, just smell the loose leaf tea and if you are not getting many scents and cannot smell anything grassy, then you know this is a quite old tea.
Luckily, green teas from Teavivre are extremely fresh and the harvest date is published on their website so you know exactly what you are getting.
TeaVivre’s green teas
Disclaimer: Teavivre have kindly sent me samples of some of their most popular green teas so that I could review them on my blog. I am not receiving any monetary compensation to write this review but if you click on one of the links below and purchase a product I will get a small commission. This will not cost you anything extra. This post also contains Amazon affiliate links.
Organic Tian Mu Yun Wu Green Tea
Tian Mu Yun Wu Green Tea from Teavivre is of dark green colour with curly, wiry and well-twisted leaves. It comes from Bao Jia organic tea garden which is about 800m above sea level.
When I open the sample packet for the first time I am hit with such an amazing smell, it’s like freshly cut grass, only more pungent, really grassy. I totally love this scent, it’s out of this world. I mean, how fresher could this tea get??
When I brew it I can still smell the distinctive grassy scent but the taste is only mildly grassy and totally delicious. The tea is refreshing, smooth and not bitter at all. It also doesn’t get bitter if I leave it to steep for longer than recommended. There is a bit of sweetness to this tea and the liquor is of light green-yellow colour.
Due to its mild and delicate flavour, I would recommend this tea to anybody switching from green tea bags to loose leaf tea. Just get yourself a strainer and you will be good to go. However, if you don’t like slightly grassy green tea, it’s probably going to be better you start with Dragon Well which is extra mild.
“Yun Wu” literally means ‘cloud and mist’ which is a generic name often used for green teas that grow in foggy mountains. This name is also an indication of a higher grade green tea since higher humidity and less direct sunlight results in tender and pleasant teas.
“Tain Mu”, on the other hand, tells us where the tea comes from me – this literally means “the eyes of heaven” and is the name for Tianmu Mountain which is known for its pools of water on top of each of its eastern and western peaks. You can learn more about this location here.
Here are some important details about Teavivre’s Tian Mu Yun Wu Green Tea, taken from their website:
Origin: Tianmu Mountain, Lin’an County, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China
Aroma: Dry stir-fried bean aroma mixed with slight fresh flowery flavor
Taste: Smooth and soft, brisk and sweet as mountain spring water
Harvest Date: April 12, 2019
Caffeine: Low caffeine (less than 10% of a cup of coffee)
Brewing method: 250ml hot water ( 185℉ / 85℃), 3 g tea (3tsp), 5-8 mins brewing time
Organic Superfine Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea
Dragon Well green tea is a premium green tea in China and one of the most famous ones. There are many varieties of this type of tea and six grades of quality. Higher quality Dragon Well green teas are light green in colour while those of lower quality are darker as they have a higher concentration of chlorophyll.
If you want authentic Dragon Well you need to make sure it comes from the Zhejiang province in China, from the Hangzhou region. You should know that most of the Dragon Well teas on the market today are inauthentic and come from other provinces. So, the quality and taste of these teas will be different and maybe not quite what expected. Avoid these, if you can.
Luckily, Teavivre’s Superfine Dragon Well green tea is an authentic Dragon Well tea of superior quality. This is a beautiful tea with the tea leaves that are gorgeously green – a sign of their impressive freshness and quality.
As you can see from the picture above, the flattened green tea leaves are quite uniform in their appearance and there are no broken leaves. This is all a good indication of a higher quality.
I personally find this tea only mildly grassy with a very smooth and fresh finish. This is a delicious green tea with no bitterness that is easily drunk without any sugar or sweeteners. It’s such an enjoyable and refreshing tea, definitely one of my favourites. It’s so mellow with a sweet after taste. A heaven for any green tea lover!
Once brewed, it will only produce light-coloured liquid (yellowish-green) but don’t worry about its light colour, the taste will certainly impress you. I highly recommend this green tea to those who don’t like smoky flavours (such as gunpowder green tea) and those who would like to try one of the most famous green teas in China of superior quality. Just like most finer Chinese green teas, this tea has one of the highest concentrations of catechins (beneficial antioxidants).
Here is a review of this tea from Teavivre’s website which I had to share with you as it describes the tea perfectly:
An excellent Dragonwell with a very smooth and nutty taste. It has a sweet aroma reminiscent of snow peas, with some sugarcane like sweetness. Mouthfeel is crisp but not dry, the aftertaste is subtle and lingers for a few minutes before subsiding. Cha qi is tranquil and soothing. Leaf quality is very high and very consistent. The buds and leaves are soft and supple with a bright color after being brewed. There are lots of tiny hairs that float the top of the cup – a sign that this Dragonwell was picked delicately and processed carefully. This year’s harvest is one of the best in recent memory. Quality is outstanding for the price point of this tea. A must try if you are looking for a good clean Dragonwell that fits a reasonable budget. (By Nik on Jul 19, 2018)
Origin: Qiandao Lake, Chun’an County, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China
Aroma: Floral, chestnut, stir-fried bean aroma
Taste: Smooth and mellow, brisk and highly refreshing, quick sweet aftertaste
Harvest Date: April 09, 2019
Caffeine: Low caffeine (less than 10% of a cup of coffee)
Brewing method: 250ml hot water ( 185℉ / 85℃), 2.5 g tea (2tsp), 2-5 mins brewing time
Lu Shan Yun Wu Green tea
The name of this green tea comes from its origin which is Lushan mountain in the Jiangxi Province of China. The tea grows at an elevation of about 800 meters and in the area there is an abundance of rivers and lakes which creates constant clouds and mist. This results in the weather perfect for the production of Yun Wu tea.
Although this tea is not certified organic, it grows in the ecological tea garden where the environment is natural and there is no pollution.
When the tea leaves are being harvested, only the most tender and smaller tea leaves are picked which creates a higher grade tea.
The scent is slightly grassy but not as strong as scents of some other green teas from Teavivre.
This one has a bit more colour to it than some other green teas, perhaps this is due to darker green tea leaves? Or maybe due to different method of production and origin?
Anyhow, the colour is proper yellow-green but it looks more yellow to me than green.
The first time I tried Lu Shan Yun Wu green tea, I over-steeped it so the flavour became slightly bitter but nothing that I couldn’t handle. With other Teavivre green teas, over-steeping doesn’t always result in bitterness but with this tea, you have to be careful.
Steep it for 3-5 minutes, as recommended and try and reach the perfect brewing temperature of 85 degrees Celsius. I used the same leaves to make another cup of tea and this time the flavour was much milder with no bitterness but still delicious.
The second time I made Lu Shan Yun Wu green tea with fresh dry leaves, I made it perfect. I kept an eye on the clock and didn’t steep it for longer than 5 minutes. The results were great – very smooth tea, mildly grassy with lots of flavours. It’s definitely more grassy than some other green teas from Teavivre that I’ve tried. So it won’t be for everybody I believe. But I think this is a great green tea for those who like more flavour and don’t mind the ‘grassiness”. It reminds me a little bit of Japanese Sencha green tea, only that the flavour is not as strong. Overall though it’s a lovely green tea, I really enjoy it.
Origin: Lushan, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, China (Wu Lao Feng Tea Garden)
Aroma: Floral, chestnut, stir-fried bean aroma
Taste: Refreshing and brisk taste with long-lasting fragrance, sweet and mellow, enduring infusions
Harvest Date: April 19, 2019
Caffeine: Low caffeine (less than 10% of a cup of coffee)
Brewing method: 250ml hot water ( 185℉ / 85℃), 3g tea (1.5 tsp), 3 – 5 mins brewing time
Organic Chun Ya (Spring Bud) Green Tea
Chun Ya green tea gives out an amazing strong grassy scent which is sweet at the same time. The tea is so unbelievably fresh and you can smell that.
The tea is grown about 900m to 1350m above sea level in Mt. Tiangong Tea Garden in the town of Juexi in Yibin City. There is 80% forest in this area and clouds and mists are a common occurrence throughout the year. This creates perfect natural conditions for growing tea and contributes to its delicious flavour.
I leave the tea to steep for the recommended 3-5 minutes and then taste it. The scent when brewing is not as strong as that of other types of green tea, it’s pretty mild but when I strain it there is definitely more scent coming out which is strong enough.
Like other green teas from TeaVivre, Chun Ya is not bitter at all. The flavour feels slightly stronger than that of Dragon Well’s but nevertheless the tea is still delicious.
Reviewers have described this tea as slightly nutty with bean aroma and hints of umami. I don’t know whether I would describe it the same but it’s certainly a really enjoyable tea.
Origin: Mt. Tiangong (天宫山), Juexi Town, Yibin City, Sichuan Province, China
Aroma: A delicious mixed aroma of bean and flower
Taste: Refreshing and sweet taste; thick texture and long-lasting bean aroma
Harvest Date: April 05, 2019
Caffeine: Low caffeine (less than 10% of a cup of coffee)
Brewing method: 250ml hot water ( 176℉ / 85℃), 3g tea, 3 – 5 mins brewing time
Bi Luo Chun Green Tea
Bi Luo Chun Green Tea from TeaVivre is one of the most popular green teas they sell. It comes from the DongTing Mountain in the Jiangsu Province in China.
The tea is made with pure tea buds and new leaves and its name “Bi Luo Chun” literally means “Green Snail Spring”. That’s because of its tightly-coiled appearance which resembles a snail’s shell, and the fact that it is picked in spring.
This type of green tea is one of the top Chinese green teas and its name was given by an Emperor Kang Xi during the Qing Dynasty.
When I open the packet the tea aroma is so fresh and oh my god totally out of this world. This grassy scent is even more impressive than the scent of some other green teas from Teavivre.
After the tea has been brewed for at least 5 minutes, this results in only a light yellowish-green colour but the taste is absolutely there. The tea is not bitter at all and has a pleasant but not grassy flavour. The flavour is really nice, smooth, floral with a bit of sweetness. This is an amazing tea with a mild flavour that many people would love I believe.
I think if you want the flavour to be stronger, you could try brewing the tea for a little bit longer than recommended. Make sure the brewing temperature is around 80℃ otherwise, the flavour will not come out as intended. It’s essential to have a kitchen thermometer to get the temperature just right.
Origin: DongTing Mountain(洞庭山), Jiangsu Province, China
Aroma: Sweet, fruity, floral aroma
Taste: Mellow and smooth, sweet fruity and floral taste, refreshing and brisk, lingering sweet aftertaste
Harvest Date: April 22, 2019
Caffeine: Low caffeine (less than 10% of a cup of coffee)
Brewing method: 250ml hot water ( 176℉ / 80℃), 3g tea (2.5 tsp), 3 – 5 mins brewing time
Which green tea from TeaVivre is the best?
It’s really hard to pick one type of green tea from TeaVivre and say it’s the best Chinese green tea. That’s because all of them are quite special, with different characteristics and flavours. I’ve enjoyed all of them, to be honest, but if I must pick my favourites I must say that would be Dragon Well and Bi Luo Chun which are also two of the most popular green tea types in China. I highly recommend you try these two first. If you want more flavour, Lu Shan Yun Wu is the one to go for but others are also worth trying. The best is to get yourself some samples and then decide for yourself which one you prefer. The bottom line is, TeaVivre is a Chinese green tea brand that you will not regret to try.
