Traditional Chinese tea · Balmain
Cha is Tea
A room set up for sitting down to tea.
Cha is Tea is a small tea practice in Balmain, importing single-origin Chinese tea and sharing it the way it is meant to be drunk — gaiwan, hot water, multiple infusions, slow conversation. The teas come from working producers in Wuyi Mountain, Yunnan, and a handful of trusted gardens in between.
Good tea, the right water, and somewhere quiet to sit.
What's on the Table
The range is small on purpose. A handful of Wuyi rock oolongs from Wuyi Star, a Yunnan white-tea cake aged since 2022, and a Yunnan moonlight white in tin. Each tea is drinkable on its own and stands up to repeated infusions.
Tea is sourced through long-standing relationships with producers in Fujian and Yunnan. We choose teas we want to drink, and we drink them often enough to know how they brew at home, in a workshop, and across a long afternoon.
Tea is the reason to stop, sit, and pay attention for a while.
On Sharing Tea
Cha is Tea has been pouring in Balmain for several years — for tasters new to Chinese tea and for long-time drinkers looking for a particular cliff or garden.