Chinese Ice Tea - How to make CHAGEE with Nongfu Oriental Leaf
- Afrah F
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Every month on payday, I head to the Asian Market to see what's new in stock. I generally buy grocery essentials, instant food, maybe a couple of bottles of Assam milk tea, Wang Zhai milk and Yakult. This time, I came across Chinese Ice Tea in a transparent bottle called Oriental Leaf, produced by one of China's biggest bottled water producers, Nongfu Spring. The tea was just out of this world, and it got me hooked on this iced tea culture.
In this article, I'll be talking about traditional Chinese tea, the aromatic Chinese iced tea and how you can make the famous CHAGEE at home using simple store-bought ingredients.
History of Chinese tea
Tea in China stretches back thousands of years. Legend says of a fascinating story of how tea was first discovered in China. Whether or not that story is true, tea quickly became a daily ritual, from monks sipping it for clarity during meditation to scholars drinking it while writing poetry.
By the Tang and Song dynasties, tea houses were bustling meeting points, serving everything from roasted leaves to early versions of what we’d now call iced tea in Chinese (冰茶 bing cha) when summers got unbearably warm.
Fujian perfected floral oolongs, Yunnan built the legacy of fermented pu-erh, and Guangdong popularised lighter, citrusy brews meant for hot weather. These regional personalities eventually inspired the modern wave of Chinese iced tea brands like CHAGEE.
How to make traditional Chinese tea
The traditional Chinese tea ceremony is a respected part of China's culture. Even as a tea fan myself, I still don't understand how the tea ceremony works. All I know is how to make a dashing cup of tea with the highest quality leaf.
Here's how you can get a clean, authentic flavour with your tea:
Pick your tea base: Green tea (like Oriental Leaf), oolong, jasmine, or even pu-erh all work. For iced tea, oolong and jasmine are unbeatable.
Use hot water (Not boiling water): For green tea, around 75-85°C. For oolong, 90-95°C.Boiling water can scorch delicate leaves.
Rinse quickly: Pour hot water over the leaves and immediately discard. This “awakens” the tea.
Brew for 20 to 40 seconds: Chinese tea is brewed fast and multiple times. Over-steeping makes it bitter.
Taste as you go: Your first brew will be light and floral; your third will be deeper and warmer. That evolution is part of the joy.
What is special about CHAGEE?
If you’ve seen the long queues outside CHAGEE stores in Singapore, Malaysia or China, you already know the hype is real. Compared to other Chinese tea brands I've tried, CHAGEE stands out, but why?
High-quality Tea Leaf
CHAGEE uses whole-leaf oolong and jasmine teas, not powdered bases or artificial syrups. When you’re drinking CHAGEE, you’re actually tasting fresh tea, not flavouring.
Minimal sweetness
Instead of masking the tea with sugar, CHAGEE highlights it. I'm someone who hates sugar in tea, so their flavours actually suit me well. Even their sweeter drinks still let the tea aroma shine through. It feels refreshing, not heavy.
Modern twist on tradition
CHAGEE is the bridge between traditional Chinese tea culture and modern café drinks. Their recipes borrow from classic brewing techniques but add fun permutations like peach, osmanthus, cold foam, cheese caps or snowy frappes.
Which is better, CHAGEE or Gongcha?
To put the debate to rest, Gongcha is an international bubble tea brand born in Taiwan. Chagee, on the other hand, is an artisan Chinese tea chain.
CHAGEE is better if you love tea-first flavour. It’s lighter, more aromatic, and tastes closest to real traditional Chinese tea. Perfect if you enjoy clean, refreshing drinks
Gongcha is better for a post-meal dessert if you love toppings and creamier textures. It’s more filling with pearls, pudding, and milk foam taking centre stage.
What's the Chinese Ice Tea with a Horse, Peacock or Butterfly on the Bottle?
It's Oriental Leaf Tea by Nongfu Spring. It's one of the leading bottled water producers in China, and they're well-known among Chinese locals for their tea range. I came across this randomly, and didn't even know it was ready-to-drink tea. It was bitter but super aromatic, I realised it would taste amazing coupled with milk and a bit of sweetener.
Oriental Leaf Tea come in variations, from Jasmine Tea to Pu'er and Oolong tea and more. It's refreshing on its own when you drink it chilled, but if you like your tea a bit sweet, you can add honey or sugar syrup.
Out of the whole range, I've tried 3. The horse (Chinese Gongfu black tea), the butterfly (Jasmine tea), and the camel (black Oolong tea). The latter 2 are my favourites. The Jasmine tea is a little too bitter to drink on its own.
Oriental leaf is not the only beverage brand under Nongfu, they have multiple businesses related to water and beverages under their business umbrella.
They're growing but not without controversy.
Nongfu Spring Nashua Water Purchase Conflict
Recently, the same company, Nongfu Spring, bought a site in Nashua, close to Pennichuck Brooke water systems in New Hampshire, US, expanding their plant base out of China.
The move stirred some local controversy. Residents and environmental groups raised concerns about potential strain on the nearby water source and long-term ecological impact. Nongfu Spring has stated that the project will follow strict environmental standards, but the topic is still under ongoing public discussion.
How to make CHAGEE Chinese Ice Tea at Home?
You can make store-quality Chinese ice tea at home with Oriental Leaf Tea or any brewed Chinese tea that you can find at an Asian store. I've tried it with a different tea brand, but Nongfu's tea series tops the rest (well, at least for me).
While I was experimenting with the different drinks, I saw this tea guide on Rednote, ideal for artisan tea lovers:
Some of these brands are not widely available outside China, but I've seen most of the brewed tea brands and fruit juices in traditional Asian stores.
The key to making Chinese CHAGEE-style iced tea at home is using brewed tea. There's a technique to brewing tea, and not many of us are experts in it. If you want a consistent flavour, brewed and bottled tea is the way to go.
To find your pick, you have to taste them yourself. Tea, unlike coffee, is subtle and too complex to describe.
Types of Ice Tea
I'd first recommend you try the following brewed tea to know what they taste like (if you haven't):
Ceylon black tea
Assam tea
Oolong tea
Chinese green tea
Pu'er tea
Chinese black tea
Jasmine green tea
Now you can decide what combinations you'd make. When it comes to Chinese ice tea, there are variations, but these 2 are the main:
Milk Tea (most popular)
If you're making milk-based tea, you can switch between regular fresh milk and Wang Zhai milk (for more dense drinks), and mix it in with your preferred brewed tea. A basic milk tea is just these 2 ingredients, 1:1, and ice.
Fruit Tea
Fruit tea generally comes without milk. It's brewed tea mixed with a fruit juice like peach, lemon or grape. Ceyon black tea with mango juice is delicious. Of course, it comes with ice, and if you want to take it up a notch, you can add milk too.
Chinese tea trends evolve every year, and just last year, Cheese Tea was the talk of the town. As usual, I gave it a try with Earl Grey, and it was not my 'cup of tea'.
With tea, it's all about experimenting and finding the right ratios of tea to milk, tea to ice. Or even trying out unusual combinations. You can even make Boba at home and add them. Or even Grass jelly is a great addition.
Conclusion
Chinese ice tea may seem like a modern trend, but once you trace it back to centuries of traditional Chinese tea culture, it starts to feel like something much deeper. Whether you’re sipping a delicate jasmine brew or experimenting with artisan creations at home, you’re essentially carrying forward a tradition that has evolved from ancient teahouses to today’s sleek tea bars.
And that’s the beauty of it. You don’t need a tea master, a traditional Chinese tea set, or a professional brewer. With a handful of good Oriental Leaf tea, some ice, and a bit of curiosity, you can recreate your own version of CHAGEE right in your kitchen.
Tried making any? Let us know how it went on the comments!