20 Unique Weird Teas You Should Know

Black, green, white, or oolong teas have been constant fillers in our cupboards, placed neatly in their special tea caddies. We’ve been drinking tea so much that we have our personal favorites and rituals, from adding a splash of milk to pouring it into our favorite mugs. And although the saying “familiarity breeds contempt” will never apply to tea, it’s also good to discover new teas that range from weird to interesting.

Diversify your tea palate with these unpopular weird teas that deserve your attention. Read more!

Panda Dung Tea

Various tea types are produced upon different methods of propagation, and panda dung tea is no exception. Although its name might make you hesitate to have a cup, this nutty-flavored weird tea is not necessarily made from panda manure. Rather, it is green tea or the Camellia sinensis plant cultivated in panda dung-enriched soil. This costly, thousand-dollar-worth tea is the brainchild of An Yanshi, a Chinese teacher and businessman, who saw the potential in the animal waste as fertilizer. Pandas have a strict bamboo diet which makes their waste full of minerals and nutrients; thus producing highly beneficial tea leaves.

Russian Brick Tea

This weird tea’s name is indicative of its appearance and origin. During the 1800s, Russia and China were at the height of trading goods that included tea leaves. This trade-off gave birth to the production of brick tea, which consisted of the dust or crushed form of either black or green tea leaves. The finer leaves are then hardened into bricks that made shipping easier. While some of these bricks were engraved with designs, the others were made of a chunkier mixture, with stems and loose leaves. Although highly popular and celebrated during this era, Russian brick tea is not as commonly consumed today. 

Buddha’s Hand Tea

No, this weird tea is not made from the severed hand of the religious being. However, the ancient Taiwanese preparation of Buddha’s hand tea might as well be reverential. They take particular care in the process of this oolong-like tea. The final product? A fruity-flavored tea that has similar tastes with the buddha’s hand fruit.

Labrador Tea

Suffering from a hangover after a night out? Labrador tea can help. The dried leaves of the plant from the Rhododendron family produce a sweet-smelling weird tea that is believed to ease your headaches and digestive problems. A review in the National Library of Medicine stated that labrador tea also has ascorbic acid, which makes the tea a perfect drink when you have colds or sore throat. Steep a teaspoon of the leaves in hot water to get its benefits. Feel free to add some sweeteners if you wish.

Pu-erh Tea

By itself, green tea is a marvelous earthy beverage that is loaded with health benefits. But when green tea matures due to fermentation, you would get another great drink: the caffeine-rich pu-erh tea. This weird tea doesn’t lose green tea’s benefits and is believed to help in reducing cholesterol levels and cutting down excess weight. Its preparation is easy too. Just infuse the loose tea leaves in hot water for about five minutes and you can enjoy the prized product of China’s Yunnan province.

Darjeeling Tea

The West Bengal, Indian type of the Camellia sinensis plant results in the sweet, wine-like taste of Darjeeling tea, earning its reputation as the “champagne of teas.” However, the general taste and floral scent vary according to the time of harvest of the leaves. The first flush is the most expensive compared to the other flushes of Darjeeling because it has the youngest leaves and the lightest taste. The second flush, on the other hand, has a darker shade and fuller flavor, which makes it a popular preference for unique and weird tea lovers. Meanwhile, the third flush consists of the largest leaves and is cheaper than the two. Steep the tea leaves in boiling water to have a cup full of antioxidants and caffeine.

Garlic Tea

We’re all down for some glass of ginger ale, but did you know that its culinary partner garlic can be drunk too? Garlic is said to have many health benefits, including boosting your metabolism, lowering cholesterol, and easing the symptoms of common colds. All you need to do is boil some water and drop a few cloves of garlic. This weird tea can also be mixed with some ginger or turmeric or tir in a bit of honey if the taste is too strong for you. 

Fermented Yak Butter Tea

Yaks are aplenty in Tibet, and it’s no surprise that the milk-producing animal has a hand in preparing tea. Before bulletproof coffee and drinks became a trend in our Western culture, the Tibetans were making their tea with yak butter. The base is usually pu-erh tea mixed with yak milk, yak butter, and salt, creating a thick, creamy consistency. Often served to guests, they also drink it to warm themselves in the perpetually cold weather of the country. Because of the milk and butter content, fermented yak butter tea is rich in good, healthy fats which can provide an energy boost and aid in proper digestion.

Sparkling Tea

Are you in need of an unusually weird tea fix but also want a little fizz? Sparkling tea is your best bet. It is basically a tea base—usually black, hibiscus, or green tea—mixed with carbonated water for a bubbly drink. Most commercial brands offer sparkling tea in several flavors, so you can quickly satisfy your soda and tea cravings.

Bug Poop Tea

Unlike panda dung tea, bug poop tea is a drink literally made from bug excrements. The bugs’ larvae live on organic tea leaves upon birth, feeding on them and using them as shelter. It is one of the most expensive and weird teas in the world and is likened to the civet cat coffee Kopi Luwak.

Gunpowder Tea

The gunpowder tea leaves are rolled in tiny balls that look like pellets, hence the gunpowder moniker. It is also called pearl tea in some areas and traces its origins to the ancient dynasties of China. Although the tea’s nickname may not ring a bell, it is still derived from Camellia sinensis and is just a variation of green tea. Its benefits and brewing process is similar to that of green tea too. The rolled, spherical tea leaves open up when doused with hot water, unfurling the drink’s flavor and smell. 

Bacon Tea

The universal love for bacon has taken the whole world by storm, resulting in numerous products that are flavored with the famous cured meat. The trend has reached tea as well, with mainstream brands producing their own ready to drink bacon teas. If you like to go the do-it-yourself route, find some bacon bones from your local meat dealer and boil them for a few hours. Some suggest that the bacon broth would taste better if the bones have a bit of meat. Whatever type of bacon bones you could secure, consuming the meat in this weird tea form is all sorts of thrilling.

Guayasa Tea

The Ilex guayusa is the pride of Ecuadorians. It is found in the Amazon rainforest and is grown organically, making a healthy herbal tea. The leaves, when consumed as an infusion, are believed to be the source of numerous health advantages. Its caffeine content stimulates mood, while its antioxidants are said to help with different health conditions.  In addition to its healthy goodness, the guayasa tea is special to the culture of Ecuadorians, as the native tribes often consume it together.

Twig Tea

Not a part of the Camellia sinensis plant goes to waste. Its leaves are well-known to be the source of beloved tea types, but did you know that its twigs can be made into an unusual weird tea as well? Twig tea, or the Japanese kukicha green tea, is the resulting infusion from the twigs and stems of the aforementioned plant. It has a nutty, sweet taste and a greenish hue. This tea is suitable when you want a milder, toned-down version of green tea because it relatively has a lower caffeine content.

Blue Tea

The infusion of herbs is already fascinating, but it reaches a new level of charming when the beverage takes on a vibrant blue color. This isn’t such a weird tea as it comes from the dried flowers of butterfly pea or Clitoria ternatea plant that is originally found in Asia. Aside from its pretty color, it is also loaded with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial characteristics that may aid in several health conditions.

Kombucha Tea

While kombucha tea is gaining more popularity and a larger fan base in the past decade, the whole concept of kombucha tea may still be peculiar for a lot of people. This weird tea is fermented, has alcohol, is naturally fizzy, and is made of a weird-mushroom like housing for bacteria and yeast. The awareness and curiosity of consumers allowed the market to offer ready-to-drink kombucha tea, homemade kombucha tea kits, and even a bar dedicated for kombucha tea.  Get Yours Here!

Blooming Tea/Flowering Tea

More than being a picture-worthy variant, this blooming tea itself is a work of art. It is a bundled tea leaves and flower that are dried up together, and blooms when submerged in water. It is perfect to serve in a transparent teapot or teacup so one can admire the intricate flowers from the tea. This blooming tea is a unique beautiful weird tea that Instagrammers should try. Get Yours Here!

Coca Leaves Tea

Coca leaves are either raw or dried leaves from coca plant and is native in South America. The leaves can be bought in a bag, much like whole bay leaves, and steeped in hot water. Coca leaves can be bought in various forms like gum, candies, and tea form and this is extremely popular and abundant in Peru as it helps relieve altitude sickness.  

Although, coca leaves are considered highly illegal and banned from most countries, as coca leaves are one of the main ingredients in making cocaine. Coca leaves does give a light buzz but one will not get high from the consumption of it. 

Cheese Tea

Along with the boba tea hype around the world, one of the most popular flavors are common teas like black, green, white then topped with cheese. This foamy, rich cheese is made of cream cheese and milk, then mixed or topped with rock salt. One can find this in almost all of the popular boba tea stores like Gong Cha, RoyalTea, Happy Lemon, and more.

Dry Ice Boba Tea

Dry ice provides a fun smokey effect that is often used as props. In a boba tea shop in China, they use dry ice to cool the drink and at the same time provide a cool smoke and extra fiz on the drink, however, it isn’t as safe as it sounds. Dry ice is highly dangerous when swallowed as it can freeze tissue in your mouth, esophagus, and stomach, at the same time touching it with your hands or skin can cause freeze burns similar to frostbites. The CO2 from the smoke of the dry ice is a serious safety hazard, it can knock someone unconscious, cause headache, confusion, disorientation, and death. In conclusion, this is a weird tea that one should highly avoid. 

With all these kinds of unusual weird teas, it is safe to say that tea-drinking will constantly be a surprise that we will be eagerly awaiting.