RateTea

RateTea has launched an interactive map of the world's tea-producing regions, integrated with an encyclopedia with articles on each region, and reviews and listings of single-origin teas produced in each country and subregion.

Guizhou province, an interior province in Southwest China, produces tea, but these teas are not as widely available in the West as those produced in its neighbors: Yunnan, Guangxi, Hunan, and Sichuan provinces.

RateTea has added a category for dark teas, including Pu-erh tea as well as other post-fermented teas. Besides Pu-erh, the category lists teas produced in Hunan and Guangxi provinces, and a few from other countries.

The political dialogue in the U.S. has been escalating in its level of negativity and disrespect recently, with both Democrats and Republicans contributing to the problem. Tea culture provides a calm escape from this atmosphere.

Previously, RateTea had lumped jasmine silver needle teas into the general category of jasmine teas. Now, the rating site has broken these special teas into their own dedicated category.

RateTea analyzes the most commonly used additives in commercial tea: although additives to tea are uncommon, and the most common ones are harmless, a few raise health concerns. Some flavorings reflect inferior quality, evident in flavor.

Lapacho tea, or Pao d'Arco tea, an herbal tea made from a tree native to South America, has been promoted as a beverage or tonic having "health benefits". RateTea searched the scientific literature and found evidence that it is not safe for such use.

Tea, containing caffeine, can have both negative and positive effects on sleep, but when compared to coffee, there is evidence of compelling advantages for drinking tea rather than coffee, for promoting healthy sleep.

The top 10 most often rated and reviewed teas on RateTea are all tea bags, but the top 10 highest-rated teas are all loose leaf, reflecting a disparity in tea culture between mainstream brands and connoisseurs.

In February, RateTea launched a new tea rating system, intending it to be easier to understand and more fun. Now, with three months of data under the new rating system, the rate of new reviews has more than tripled over last year.