SereneTea Seattle

24/06/2026

White tea is often described as simple, but the more I explore it, the more I realize how much nuance it holds. A change in cultivar, terroir, picking standard, or aging can completely transform the experience in the cup.

I’ve carefully selected a few of my favorite discoveries this year and put together a White Tea Sample Box — a small journey through the diversity of white teas that I have decided to source this year.

This year’s white tea collection is a reflection of different landscapes, cultivars, and traditions. From delicate young buds to teas with deeper, more complex characters, each one carries the imprint of its origin and the hands that crafted it.
I can’t wait to share these teas with you. 🤍

16/06/2026

🐥🐥 Our all-time most adorable tea — Duck S**t Dan Cong, has also become one of the most viral teas in China.

Walk through the streets of Chaozhou and you’ll find Duck S**t tea everywhere. From trendy bubble tea shops to local cafés, everyone seems to have their own version of this beloved tea.

But long before it became a viral milk tea flavor, Duck S**t Dan Cong was already treasured by tea lovers as a traditional Chaozhou oolong. Behind its unforgettable name lies an elegant tea with notes of honeysuckle, honey, ripe fruit, and lingering floral sweetness.

At Serene Tea, we love enjoying Duck S**t Dan Cong the traditional way — brewed gongfu style to reveal its many layers and changing aromas throughout each infusion.

And this year, our Charcoal Roasted Duck S**t Dan Cong is finally returning! 🍵

We’ll also be sharing one of our favorite summer recipes soon: a refreshing blend of Duck S**t Dan Cong and lychee, inspired by the tea’s naturally fruity and floral character.

Have you tried Duck S**t Dan Cong before? As a bubble tea, a gongfu tea, or both?

08/06/2026

It’s always a joy to go to Chao Zhou and then Phoenix Mountain for the Pheonix Dan Cong teas! As we approach the Dragon Boat festival in China, the Dan Cong tea is coming to the end of its harvesting season. Right now most farmers are in the process of hand picking out Huang Pian (the old and undesired parts of the leaves) and charcoal roasting the teas for the second time. Most Dan Congs have to be roasted at least twice unless tea drinkers specifically request one time only.

Personally, I enjoy coming to visit at this time because of the ‘chaos’ of sampling teas.

This year, we will continue to source our high mountain Dan Cong teas from our long time producer farmer Liu. The cultivars include Ba Xian and D**g Fang Hong (Gardenia Aroma), while exploring a new opportunity with a new farmer for some of the other cultivars, including Duck S**t, Ao Fu Hou and an heirloom Osmanthus Aroma. All the Dan Cong teas we will carry from now on are charcoal roasting only.

12/04/2026

Silver Needle season is here 🤍🌱

After a month traveling through southern tea regions, one thing I kept hearing from farmers: this year has been unusually cold. Slower growth like this often affects both yield and flavor development — making this harvest especially interesting to taste.

Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen) is often thought of as a simple “all-bud” white tea, and honestly I wasn’t always a fan of it myself, but in reality, its flavor profile can vary significantly depending on cultivar, terroir, and processing.

While tasting in Fu Ding, I sampled three distinct styles:
– a highly floral batch with remarkable endurance (lasting 10+ steeps)
– a “rice needle” with a natural sticky rice aroma, likely influenced by cultivar and processing nuances
– a more classic profile: umami-forward, clean, and gently grassy

We’ve also been exploring other white teas this season, including:
– Xiao Cai Cha, a local heirloom varietal known for its deeper, more rustic character
– Gong Mei, which uses more mature leaves and offers a fuller body compared to bud-only teas

White tea may appear simple, but its diversity is often underestimated. More insights from this harvest coming soon 🍃

04/04/2026

Oolong tea has always been one of my favorite tea genres. It’s complex, diverse, and endlessly fascinating. From the prestigious Wu Yi Yan Cha to Taiwan’s high mountain oolongs, to the intensely aromatic Dan Congs, each family tells its own story.

This year, I’ve found myself drawn to Tie Guan Yin. It’s a tea with deep roots, connecting mainland China and Taiwan, carrying with it a rich yet complicated modern history. Growing up in Canton, I remember it as one of the essential teas served in restaurants—familiar, comforting, and ever-present.

Over time, it rose to national fame, then faded from the spotlight… only to begin its quiet resurgence.

This year, my trip to Anxi wasn’t just about rediscovering Tie Guan Yin—it was about staying open to whatever surprises this place has to offer.

30/03/2026

Can you distinguish these four different Long Jing teas?

I’ve been staying in Yangmeiling Village in Shifeng, Hangzhou, immersing myself in Xi Hu Long Jing tea over the past weeks. During this time, I’ve had the privilege of learning from the Liu family—diving deep into everything from cultivars and picking standards to soil conditions and the art of pan-firing (kill-green).

Through these conversations with master Liu and hands-on experiences, an idea naturally took shape.

We’re excited to introduce a special Long Jing Education Tea Box.

This box will feature four pre-Qingming Long Jing teas:
– Liu Family’s Shifeng Long Jing No. 43
– Liu Family’s Shifeng Long Jing (heirloom cultivar)
– A Qian Dao Lake Long Jing (a nearby production region)
– And a complimentary Long Jing often used as a market substitute or counterfeit

Our intention is simple: to invite you to taste across differences. By comparing these teas side by side, you’ll begin to understand not only the beauty of Long Jing, but also the nuances—and complexities—that come with it.

Whether you’re just beginning your tea journey or have been drinking tea for years, this box is designed to deepen your understanding through direct experience.

We are currently waiting on the heirloom cultivar, which will be produced this week. The presale will launch on our website on March 31.

This project comes from a place of curiosity, learning, and a desire to share that process with you.

30/03/2026

23/03/2026

A sneak peek of this year’s pre–Qing Ming Xi Hu Long Jing 🍃

From fresh spring leaves to withering, pan-firing (“kill green”), and finally, into your cup.

Today marks the first day of harvest at Yang Mei Ling (Shi Feng area). The rain has slowed the picking, so only a small batch could be gathered—but we couldn’t be more excited for this new beginning along with the Long Jing farmer who will bring this delicacy to all of us 🙌

09/03/2026

A new season is about to come, and nothing excites us more than seeing the first morning light shedding on new sprouted tea leaves, awaken by strength. It brings not just vitality, but also so much joy to farmers. A new cycle begins, with new growth and new opportunities. What news will Serene Tea bring this year? Let’s wait and find out 😉