Chinese New Year Teas to Gift, Brew, and Share
Are you ready for Chinese New Year? Either way, time to saddle up! The Year of the Horse comes galloping into 2026 starting next Tuesday, Feb. 17. New Year celebrations last until March 3, but the Year of the Horse remains until next February.
The Year of the Horse always suggests propulsion. Anticipate plenty of examples of bold action, high energy, socializing, independence and rapid, transformative change. Those who pay close attention to Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year may festoon the year with risks, travel and intensity. All of the forward movement, however, demands stamina—and strategies for managing it while avoiding burnout or chaos.
Pro tip from Ku Cha House of Tea: Empower tea to help you soar through the Year of the Horse!
More tips for success across the year include:
• Decluttering—everything from the home to personal life
• Taking action: Instincts reign, and opportunities should be seized rapidly.
• Prioritizing health: Focus on endurance and stamina to channel the intensity.
Embellishing the Year of the Horse with Tea
As the holiday draws near people around the world, but especially in China and other Asian countries, will find themselves consumed with preparations for the two-week celebration. Buying tea for Chinese New Year stands as one pursuit.
Tea matters because Lunar New Year brings people together with force. Many travel great distances to be with family. Friends get together and socialize. Traditional foods are shared. Parties erupt everywhere. And through it all, tea serves as a constant. It gets brewed, poured and sipped with wild abandon.
No single tea has become associated with Chinese New Year. Instead, celebrants pour their favorites, and share them widely.
Looking for fresh ideas for Chinese New Year teas? We’ve got suggestions! Brew the teas below to enchant your taste buds, and enthrall your guests. They also make for outstanding New Year gifts.
Another tip: With Valentine’s Day just two days away from today, gift these teas to warm the hearts of loved ones. And then they’ll have them for Chinese New Year celebrations.
Happy Lunar New Year!
Chinese New Year Teas: Tie Guan Yin Oolong
Dip a toe into Fujian Province with this, one of the most famous of all Chinese Teas. Tie Guan Yin, which means Iron Goddess of Mercy in Chinese, has a sweet, floral fragrance, a bright taste and a smooth finish, with a lingering sweetness. The tea takes well to multiple infusion, changing with each brew. A perfect Chinese New Year tea!
Chinese New Year Teas: Golden Peony Rock Oolong
Oolongs often present floral characteristics. But none capture a spring garden quite like our Golden Peony Rock Oolong. Hailing from China’s famous Wu Yi Mountains (where all rock oolongs come from), Golden Peony presents a balanced brew—rich and roasted with distinct floral aromatics. It also delivers citrus notes to the back of sippers’ throats. It’s gorgeous.
Chinese New Year Teas: Golden Water Turtle Rock Oolong
The year of the horse may speed across the next 12 months—speed is the predominant vibe. Balance that with some turtle, specifically our Golden Water Turtle or Shui Jin Gui. This tea, one of the most famous rock oolongs, grows on especially thick tea branches that mimic the patter of turtles’ shells. The beauty yields a strong, lasting fragrance reminiscent of winter plum blossoms, and a rich, sweet and refreshing flavor.
Chinese New Year Teas: Bai Ji Guan Rock Oolong
Tea fans know this spectacular rock oolong, also known as White Crest, for its famous whitish fresh leaves that are reminiscent of a rooster’s crest. The affect stands out among teas, and so does the lingering sweet aftertaste. This tea is prized by tea aficionados around the world.
Chinese New Year Teas: Short Leg Rock Oolong
Gardenia perfume? Check. Peach fruitiness? Indeed. This delight, also called Ai Jiao, grows on smaller, more delicate tea bushes in Fujian Province’s Wuyi Mountains. Tea fanatics prize Short Leg Rock Oolong for its delicate yet distinct qualities. It’s quite special.
Chinese New Year Teas: Iron Buddha Rock Oolong
China’s Wuyi Mountains produce teas widely championed for their excellence. And our Iron Buddha Rock Oolong, also called Tie Luo Han, stands as one of the most famous. Tea artisans heavily roast this novel tea, which comes from Guidong, or Ghost Cave. The processing method produces the darkest and richest flavor among rock oolongs.
Inhale the steam rising from the brew and savor notes of juniper incense—perfume that will conjure images of the temples where buddhas led the way to liberation and enlightenment.
Chinese New Year Teas: Golden Eyebrow Black
Golden Eyebrow, from Fujian Province, remains one of China’s most popular teas. The small, curled, dark leaves transform into a gold liquor when brewed. Sip it, and swoon—the tea delivers an especially rich and smooth tea experience, offering a sweet, lingering finish reminiscent of honey. Golden Eyebrow is meant to be savored sip by sip—and you’ll treasure each taste.
Chinese New Year Teas: Cormorant Creek Purple Leaf Raw Pu-erh
We carry a diversity of pu-erh, which is China’s famous style of fermented tea. Cormorant Creek, a raw pu-erh, yields a high level of anthocyanin when brewed, a plant compound that gives the tea a purple color. The botanical also can help with weight loss, enhance memory and improve visual and neurological health.
Cormorant Creek, which comes from Yunnan Province, is floral and fragrant, with notes of blueberry fruitiness.
