Chinese green tea should be stored airtight, cool, dry, dark, and away from strong odors, with refrigeration or freezing considered for longer-term storage when the packaging and handling conditions are appropriate.
Green tea is one of the Chinese tea categories where freshness matters considerably. Unlike teas intentionally designed for aging, most green teas are purchased because of their fresh fragrance, bright flavor, and lively character.
Chinese and Japanese green teas are both made from Camellia sinensis and are generally unoxidized, but they differ significantly in cultivation, processing, leaf shape, flavor, and brewing style.
The simplest distinction is this: Chinese green tea is often shaped through pan-firing and tends to emphasize roasted, nutty, floral, or fresh vegetal notes, while Japanese green tea is typically steamed and often has a deeper, greener, more savory character. However, there is much more variation within each country's tea traditions than this basic comparison suggests.
Gongfu brewing is strongly associated with oolong tea, but the method is not restricted to oolong.
Chinese green tea can be surprisingly rewarding when prepared Gongfu-style. The main difference is that delicate green tea generally does not need the very high temperatures and aggressive extraction commonly used for teas such as Dan Cong or Wuyi Rock Tea.
The best 2026 Chinese green teas to try include West Lake Longjing, Bi Luo Chun, Huangshan Maofeng, Xinyang Maojian, Laoshan Green Tea, Liu'an Guapian, and Enshi Yulu, with each offering a distinctly different interpretation of fresh Chinese green tea.
Pre-Qingming tea is worth the higher price if you specifically value delicate early-spring flavor, rarity, and premium origin, but it is not necessarily the best value for everyday drinking.
Pre-Qingming tea is a specific early-spring category harvested before the Qingming Festival, while spring-harvest tea is a much broader term covering teas picked throughout the spring season.
