Part of the joy of drinking tea on a daily basis is the ritual of brewing. Whether the leaves steep in an infuser basket or a gaiwan, a specialized piece of teaware can offer control over the brewing process, as well as elevate the aesthetics of a daily brew. But packing these tools for travel is usually unreasonable. Fragile teaware is bulky, a supply of hot water is rarely on hand, and the time for daily rituals is disrupted.

Many tea drinkers revert to easily packable teabags from the grocery store, or simply order a cup of mediocre tea at a convenient coffee shop. These alternatives may be handy, but they are often disappointing, especially to a trained palate. Luckily, high quality tea is incredibly versatile, and there are several incredibly simple ways to brew loose leaves on the go. Here are three of our favorite strategies.

Traditional Chinese culture has an interesting history with the form of the novel. Translated from Chinese, the word means “small words” or “small talk”, indicating that novels were inferior forms of literature compared to poetry, history, or calligraphy. It was assumed that only people of low taste read or wrote them.

It wasn’t just that novels were considered vulgar and shallow, it was also believed that reading novels was reckless - and possibly lethal.

The act of reading fiction was frivolous and damaging to the mind, as the mind would mistake fiction for reality. Young women were at risk of wasting away to nothing after reading novels, as they would be unable to separate the tragedy of the fiction from real life, and die of sadness. As a result, counter-culture formed around the printing and distribution of novels, and the government officially banned certain novels from the public.

During this time, The Story of the Stone (more commonly translated as Dream of the Red Chamber), was written and published, although no one can say exactly when. Since then, the book has become incredibly influential to mainstream Chinese culture. In fact, there are so many layers of meaning within the text, and so many mysteries surrounding its creation and publication, that there is an entire branch of academic study called Redology devoted to studying the The Story of the Stone in every aspect.

The crafting of tea is an exacting process, developed over hundreds of years through trial and error. Today, scientific research has helped us define the chemical processes that occur during the various steps of crafting, but the long history and guarded crafting traditions have led to some common misconceptions and confusing terminology. In particular, “fermentation” is often used to describe the darkening of tea leaves during the crafting process, though very few teas undergo microbial activity during processing. Instead, most teas undergo what is more accurately called “oxidation”.

The confluence of these two words is compounded by confusing translations of the names of tea categories. For instance, the Chinese word hēichá translates directly to “black tea”, but this category is commonly translated to “dark tea” in order to avoid confusion with the black teas known in the west. Rather, an English black tea would be called hóngchá, or literally, “red tea”, in Chinese.

To clarify, understanding the distinction between oxidation and fermentation is essential. So what is the difference between the two, and how can we define them in the context of tea processing?

Today, the tiny island of Taiwan is known around the world for its teas. Rolled oolongs grown at high elevations have inspired myriad copycats, Taiwanese black teas are rapidly gaining popularity, and the domestic tea culture has exploded. But in the vast historical context of Chinese tea, Taiwan is a relative newcomer. How has this island gone from provincial backwater to a leader of the global tea industry?

For many regular tea drinkers, oolong tea is an exotic category, or even entirely unheard of. Black teas and green teas are now crafted around the world, and have transformed to suit the varied tastes of global populations. But oolong tea production is still centered in China and Taiwan, in four main regions.

Yet oolong teas are far from a homogenous group. In fact, since the oolong category includes any tea that is partially oxidized, the range of flavors in this general group is more varied and dramatic than any other. With such scope, generalizing all oolongs into one lot can be confusing, if not misleading.

Oolong teas vary in style based on the terroir and tradition of the region they come from, just like black or green teas. It may seem as though the relatively small area they come from would reduce diversity of styles, but the mountainous terrain of southeastern China provides natural barriers between each region. Since travel through the mountains has always been difficult, local tea varieties and crafting techniques developed independently, with little overlap. The four most famous oolong growing areas give us four distinct divisions of oolong tea.

It’s no secret that changing the way you brew a tea can dramatically change the flavor in your cup. Though we always offer specific brewing guides for each of our teas, we always recommend experimenting to find the perfect brewing technique for your palate. Formosa oolong teas, in particular, can produce a wide array of flavors depending on how they are brewed. Here are three of our favorite methods for brewing this unique style.

Throughout history, tea drinkers have prized leaves cultivated at high elevations. In almost every category, elevation can mark the difference between a good tea and an incredible one. In Taiwan, it can even be the primary factor in determining quality. Tea growers in Taiwan have moved gradually up the mountains over time, first planting tea at 700 meters above sea level, and then 1,600, and finally at the highest peaks of the Lishan range. Da Yu Lin, the highest tea-growing peak, reaches nearly 2,800 meters.

Since moving upwards in elevation naturally reduces the amount of available land, and colder temperatures further reduce crop yields, it seems counterintuitive to continue moving up the mountain. For the harvest to be worth the extra effort, it must be exceptional enough to command higher prices. So what, exactly, does elevation add? Is it merely prestige and rarity that makes these teas seem a cut above the rest?

Well, no. Actually, the elevation of a plant impacts almost every facet of its growing process, from flavor development to pest control. Even within a single region, environmental conditions can vary wildly with elevation, changing the terroir, and the quality, of the tea. Overall, high mountain teas are recognized as having more complexity to the flavor, less bitterness, and a more creamy texture to the finish.

We love to sing the praises of traditional methods when it comes to tea growing, harvesting, and brewing, and we are fortunate to live in an age when sharing and accessing this information has never been easier. These days, it’s easy to forget how rare and precious tea knowledge was in China over a thousand years ago. Amazingly, much of the knowledge that has survived to this day is due to the dedication and passion of one man: Lu Yu, the tea scholar.