A tea sommelier pouring freshly brewed herbal tea from a glass teapot through a strainer into double-walled glass cups. Various loose-leaf teas in glass jars are arranged on a wooden table, creating an elegant tea preparation scene.

What Tea Is Served at Chinese Restaurants? A Complete Guide to Chinese Hot Tea

Q: Why do Chinese restaurants serve hot tea?

Chinese restaurants serve hot tea for several reasons:✔ Aids digestion – Helps break down rich and oily foods.✔ Cleanses the palate – Refreshes the taste buds between bites.✔ Cultural tradition – A symbol of hospitality in Chinese dining.✔ Health benefits – Contains antioxidants and promotes relaxation.

Q: Does Chinese restaurant hot tea contain caffeine?

es, most Chinese hot tea varieties contain caffeine.High caffeine: Pu-erh tea, oolong tea, green tea.Medium caffeine: Jasmine tea.Caffeine-free: Chrysanthemum tea (herbal).If you're sensitive to caffeine, ask for caffeine-free tea options like chrysanthemum tea.

Written by: Camille Liu

February 10, 2025

Time to read 5 min

"In every Chinese restaurant, a cup of hot tea is more than a drink—it's a warm welcome, a moment of tradition, and a perfect start to your meal."

Instruction

When you visit a Chinese restaurant , you're often greeted with a warm cup of Chinese hot tea, an essential part of Chinese dining culture. But have you ever wondered what tea is served at Chinese restaurants and why it is so common?

Tea has been a part of Chinese tradition for thousands of years, not only as a beverage but as a symbol of hospitality, health, and balance. Different types of Chinese restaurant tea offer unique flavors and health benefits, enhancing the overall dining experience.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore:
✔ The most common hot teas served at Chinese restaurants
✔ Why Chinese restaurant hot tea is a must with meals
✔ How to properly drink and order Chinese hot tea

Let’s dive in!

A beautifully decorated porcelain tea cup with a lid, featuring intricate Chinese patterns, placed on a table inside a traditional Chinese restaurant.

Why Do Chinese Restaurants Serve Hot Tea?

Tea plays a significant role in Chinese cuisine and culture. At many Chinese restaurants, tea is served immediately upon sitting down —it’s not just about quenching thirst but about enhancing the meal.

Here’s why Chinese hot tea is always part of the experience:

A cozy tea setting inside a traditional Chinese restaurant, featuring an elegant wooden table with porcelain tea cups and teapots.

A watercolor painting of a traditional Chinese tea house, featuring a wooden table with a teapot and two tea cups.

1. It Aids Digestion

Many traditional Chinese restaurant teas contain compounds that help break down fats and aid digestion. Since Chinese cuisine often includes rich, fried, or flavorful dishes, drinking Chinese restaurant hot tea can make the meal easier to digest.

2. It Cleanses the Palate

Some teas, like oolong or pu-erh, have a mild astringency that helps refresh the taste buds between bites. This allows you to better appreciate the flavors of different dishes.

A traditional Chinese tea setting with a porcelain teacup filled with hot tea, placed on an ornate wooden table.

A serene tea setting featuring two elegant porcelain tea cups with blue floral patterns, accompanied by a matching teapot on a wooden table.

3. It’s a Cultural Tradition

In China, serving tea is a sign of respect and hospitality. Many Chinese families and restaurants continue this tradition by offering Chinese hot tea as a welcoming gesture.

4. It Enhances the Dining Experience

Drinking warm tea is soothing, making the dining experience more relaxing and enjoyable. It also complements the balance of yin (cool) and yang (warm) energies in food, a core concept in traditional Chinese medicine.

Now, let’s explore the most common teas served at Chinese restaurants and how they enhance different types of cuisine.

Most Popular Hot Teas Served at Chinese Restaurants

1. Jasmine Tea – The Most Common Chinese Restaurant Hot Tea

🌿 Flavor Profile: Floral, light, slightly sweet
💚 Why It’s Served: Calming aroma, refreshing taste

Jasmine tea is the most popular Chinese restaurant tea, especially in Cantonese dim sum restaurants. It is made by infusing green tea leaves with jasmine flowers, creating a subtly sweet and floral aroma.

Best With:

🍤 Dim sum
🍜 Light and mildly flavored dishes

A close-up top-down view of a cup of freshly brewed jasmine tea, with delicate jasmine flowers and green tea leaves floating in golden-hued liquid.

2. Oolong Tea – A Well-Balanced Tea for Chinese Cuisine

🌿 Flavor Profile: Smooth, toasty, slightly floral
💚 Why It’s Served: Medium-bodied tea that pairs well with a variety of dishes

Oolong tea is semi-oxidized, falling between green and black tea in strength. It is commonly served in both casual and high-end Chinese restaurants because of its versatile flavor profile and digestive benefits.

Best With:

🥩 Roast duck, BBQ pork (char siu)
🥡 Stir-fried dishes

A traditional Chinese tea setup featuring two porcelain tea cups filled with freshly brewed green tea, alongside a rustic clay teapot.

3. Pu-erh Tea – The Best Tea for Heavy Meals

🌿 Flavor Profile: Earthy, deep, mellow
💚 Why It’s Served: Helps digest rich, oily foods

Pu-erh tea is a fermented tea from Yunnan Province , known for its probiotic benefits and digestive properties . It’s commonly served after meals in Chinese restaurants , particularly those specializing in rich, meat-heavy dishes.

Best With:

🥢 Peking duck, hot pot
🍖 Fried or braised dishes

A rustic brown ceramic cup filled with freshly brewed pu-erh tea, with loose fermented tea leaves floating in the rich amber liquid.

4. Green Tea – A Light and Refreshing Option

🌿 Flavor Profile: Fresh, grassy, slightly bitter
💚 Why It’s Served: High in antioxidants, mild energy boost

Though less common than jasmine tea , some restaurants serve Dragon Well (Longjing) green tea , a famous variety from Hangzhou known for its sweet, nutty notes.

Best With:

🍣 Seafood dishes

A traditional Chinese porcelain tea cup with delicate bamboo patterns, filled with freshly brewed green tea. Whole tea leaves gently float in the vibrant green infusion, set on a rustic wooden tray with a clay teapot in the softly blurred background.

5. Chrysanthemum Tea – A Caffeine-Free Herbal Option

🌿 Flavor Profile: Mildly sweet, floral
💚 Why It’s Served: A cooling tea that soothes the throat and body

Unlike other teas, chrysanthemum tea is not made from tea leaves but from dried chrysanthemum flowers. It’s often served in spicy Sichuan or hot pot restaurants, as it cools the body and helps balance spicy foods.

Best With:

🌶 Spicy Sichuan cuisine
🥘 Hot pot

A delicate porcelain tea cup filled with golden-hued chrysanthemum tea, with vibrant yellow chrysanthemum flowers floating on the surface.

How to Drink and Order Chinese Hot Tea at Restaurants

A cozy tea setting in a traditional Chinese tea house, featuring a porcelain teapot and matching teacup on a wooden table.

If you’re dining at a Chinese restaurant and want to enjoy authentic Chinese restaurant tea, here are some tips:

1. How to Order Tea

Many Chinese restaurants automatically serve hot tea when you sit down.
If you prefer a specific tea, politely ask:
"Do you have oolong or pu-erh tea?"

2. Tea Etiquette

When someone pours tea for you, tap your fingers on the table as a sign of gratitude.
Never leave the lid fully closed on the teapot—it signals you need a refill.

3. How to Drink It Properly

Sip, don’t gulp – Enjoy the tea slowly to appreciate its aroma and warmth.
Refill as needed – Many restaurants offer free hot water refills for your teapot.

A serene tea setting featuring a traditional Chinese clay teacup filled with rich amber tea, placed on a bamboo tray.

A beautifully aged Chinese tea setting on an antique wooden table, featuring a blue porcelain teapot and two ornate teacups filled with steaming hot tea.

Final Thoughts: What Tea Is Served at Chinese Restaurants?

The hot tea served at Chinese restaurants enhances the dining experience, aids digestion, and complements different dishes. The most common Chinese restaurant hot teas include:

🍵 Jasmine tea – Light and floral, ideal for dim sum
🍵 Oolong tea – A balanced tea that pairs well with many dishes
🍵 Pu-erh tea – Earthy and strong, perfect for heavy meals
🍵 Green tea – Fresh and grassy, great for seafood and light foods
🍵 Chrysanthemum tea – A caffeine-free herbal tea for spicy dishes

Next time you dine at a Chinese restaurant, take a moment to appreciate the rich tea culture that comes with your meal!

Want to enjoy authentic Chinese tea at home? Visit Red Rock Tea House for premium selections!

FAQs

Why do Chinese restaurants serve hot tea?

Chinese restaurants serve hot tea for several reasons:
✔ Aids digestion – Helps break down rich and oily foods.
✔ Cleanses the palate – Refreshes the taste buds between bites.
✔ Cultural tradition – A symbol of hospitality in Chinese dining.
✔ Health benefits – Contains antioxidants and promotes relaxation.

Does Chinese restaurant hot tea contain caffeine?

es, most Chinese hot tea varieties contain caffeine.

High caffeine: Pu-erh tea, oolong tea, green tea.
Medium caffeine: Jasmine tea.
Caffeine-free: Chrysanthemum tea (herbal).

If you're sensitive to caffeine, ask for caffeine-free tea options like chrysanthemum tea.

How do you properly drink Chinese restaurant tea?

Tap your fingers on the table when someone pours tea for you as a sign of gratitude.
Hold the teacup with both hands as a sign of respect in formal settings.
Do not overfill the cup —Chinese tea is served in small amounts and frequently refilled.
Refill your guests' cups before your own as a gesture of politeness.

Is Chinese restaurant tea served with sugar or milk?

No, traditional Chinese restaurant hot tea is served plain, without sugar or milk. The natural flavors of the tea are meant to complement the food without overpowering it.

Can you get a tea refill at a Chinese restaurant?

Yes! Most Chinese restaurants will refill your teapot with hot water for free. If your tea becomes too weak, you can request new tea leaves for a fresher brew.