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Tap into what the British already know: There is an exotic and delicious world of tea out there.

For many Americans, the word tea still conjures up images of a flimsy bag swimming in tepid light-brown water, producing a drink that recalls Chinese tea master Lu Yu’s remark about “the swill of gutters and ditches.” But the last decade or so has seen a surge of interest in tea in the U.S., and particularly in specialty tea, a broad category that includes a range of premium varieties.

All true tea is derived from one plant, Camellia sinensis. Factors that separate the swill from the sublime include soil, climate and other growing conditions, as well as the way the leaves are processed. No one can say for sure how many varieties of tea exist, but the number may run into the thousands, from cheap, barely drinkable blends to liquid bliss. Here are some varieties that are worth sampling.


Jun Shan Yin Zhen (Silver Needles from Mount Jun)

$27/oz, imperialtea.com

One of the least known types of tea—even to many enthusiasts—yellow tea is renowned for its so-called floating forest of needles, a reference to the tendency of the loose leaves to stand on end while steeping.


Qilaishan Long Wu (Dragon’s Fog)

$65/50g, sevencups.com

Oolong tea comes in delicately flavored varieties with fruity overtones, as well as robust varieties with earthy and even smoky notes. The best oolong hails from China or Taiwan, including this mild variety, which is grown high in Taiwan’s Qilaishan mountain region.


Matcha Pinnacle

$41/30g, hibiki-an.com

For all the fuss over the potential health benefits of tea (especially green tea), many people may not realize that outstanding green tea is also delicious. Many of the best green teas are produced in China and Japan. Among these is matcha, a powdered green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony, which has begun making its way into more teacups—and even smoothies—in the West.


Royal Himalayan Snowflake

$80/oz, mitea.com

The old warhorse of the tea-drinking world, black tea is what most of us probably associate with the standard cuppa. Some of the most desirable black teas come from the Darjeeling region of northern India. Darjeeling is sometimes called the champagne of tea, and while some varieties are relatively affordable—just look on your supermarket shelves—others are more akin to Dom Pérignon in both quality and price.


Ancient Organic Green Pu-erh

$48/125g, uptontea.com

The sky is pretty much the limit when it comes to puerh, a tea produced in China’s Yunnan Province. Unlike most types of tea, certain varieties of puerh grow better and more valuable with age, making them increasingly popular among connoisseurs, collectors and even investors. Some of the rarest varieties go for thousands of dollars per ounce.
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WILLIAM I. LENGEMAN III blogs about tea at teaguyspeaks.com.