Tea culture - Topics

What is the point of pouring off the first rinse? Which regions of China produce tea worth paying attention to? Is loose-leaf tea from a Chinese market better than tea bags? What is the right water temperature for each of the six tea types? What actually separates white tea from green tea? How do you judge tea quality at a tasting without getting talked into anything? Why is aged pu-erh so much more expensive than fresh? How does Japanese green tea differ from Chinese green tea in taste? How do you brew green tea without turning it bitter? Do you really need a clay teapot for oolong or is a mug fine? Why does jasmine tea get a bad reputation among serious drinkers? Can you rebrew the same leaves all day and how many times? What gives Hong Kong milk tea its body compared with plain black tea? Is matcha really different from the green tea powder sold in China? How did tea bags take over the world while loose leaf held on in Asia? Why do some tea cultures add salt or butter instead of sugar? Why do the British put milk in tea while Chinese drinkers rarely do? What should you look for in a starter gaiwan? Does Tibetan butter tea taste as strange as it sounds? Why is tea served in tiny cups in East Asia and huge mugs in the West? Why do some cultures drink tea with meals and others only between them? How did Taiwanese bubble tea change the way the world drinks tea? How does Moroccan mint tea compare with Chinese green tea? Why does tea grown at high altitude taste different? What separates Indian masala chai from the milk tea sold in Chinese shops? How is a Chinese tea ceremony different from a Japanese one?