A Few Ways to Select a Tea

Select a tea by category, region, taste or TCM character

At TeaHong.com, we try to put ourselves in our customers’ shoes. Different people have different priorities. Each sees the world differently. Naturally when it comes to selecting a tea, your criteria may not be the same as that of any other tea drinkers. That is why we group our tea products in different ways so you can see them in the context that is closest to how you think when selecting a tea.

Selection by
Tea Category

Selection by
Tea Region

Selection by
Taste Preference

Selection by
TCM Character

Our Tea Master’s personal favourites

Before doing your own selections, you may also want to check out what our Tea Master’s very own favourites here.

Or refer to his best loved oolongs here:

by random order

Selection by Tea Category

The most common way to group different varieties of tea is by the category of processing method with which they are produced. Some call it Tea Classification, others Tea Categorisation. We think the later label is semantically more accurate.

Many connoisseurs and tea specialists organise their collections with this concept.

The above chart shows the five main categories: Green, Black, White, Pu’er ( Post-Fermentation ) and Oolong teas. Click the pie chart to browse the category of tea, click on your choice and enjoy the browse!

Need more info about a category before seeing the products? Here are some articles:

Our tea regions

Fenghuang / Phoenix

Tea farmer withering tea leaves in the afternoon sun

Huangshan/ Anhui

Tea picking on the hill side terrace

Minnan-Mindong, Fujian

Wang's peak farm

Nepal, the Himalayas

Tea Regions of TeaHomg.com: Nepal / Himalayas

Taiwan

Master Li talks about ant problem in his wild Red Jade tea field

Wuyi-shan

A tea field in Wuyi

Yunnan

Thick linen are being put on piles of tealeaves for post-fermentation in Yunnan

Zhejiang

Tea Hong: Finest Hand-roasted Green tea: Longjing Spring Equinox

Selection by Taste

Teas are like raw gems. The true taste of each awaits the revelation made possible by the way you make it. Your personal need matters. It may change according to mood, time of the day, and occasions.

tasting

Tasting is the ultimate way to learn about a tea

Experience and explore

Begin by tasting a few selections using various infusion styles to gain more specialist understanding of the finesses and differences. Relate this with your personal preferences and you will gradually carve out a direction in building your own repertoire of tea. This will be your very own line that best suits your taste and your needs. With repeated usage your senses and perceptions will deepen. This will empower you with the connoisseur skill to easily master yet more varieties to continue to gain levels in the vast world of tea.

Selection by TCM Characters

This is for those who understand the needs of answering the voice of the body. A well customised and balanced collection not only helps to maximise tea’s health benefits, but also tea’s gastronomic qualities. At Tea Hong, we categorise our collection by traditional Chinese medicinal character.

Check out trending best sellers

If all these other ways of thinking about how to select a tea are not for you, perhaps you can see what other people are buying. These are some of what’s trending now:

Information on a tea page

Detail information on each tea page includes a description, taste profile, infusion tips and a few properties described with icons. This article gives a general orientation in case you want to prepare yourself before browsing.

Customer Reviews

Yet another way to get an idea is to see how other customers see our products. Read a few random reviews they have posted in this site, and click on the link to go to the product page:

  • Alishan Guanyin, deep baked Taiwan oolong

    This is the best Tie Guan Yin I’ve ever had, made even better by the fact it’s from Alishan.

    I searched high and low for another vendor that sold anything similar to this and all of them were over roasted/baked. It was like drinking an ashtray.

    This stuff however? Amazing. If I had to pick a tea to drink every day for the rest of my life it would have to be this.

    Andres Amor
  • Sacred Lily, Wuyi yancha oolong

    果然別有洞天

    對新品種從來沒信心,但這寶號一直未有令我失望過,所以看見是 tea master’s choice 便也試試。果然所言非虛,茶味別有洞天。好!

    plo1962
  • Classic White Utility Gaiwan 150

    Beautiful, firm and super value

    The real thing is actually even more beautiful than the photos. It is not only a joy to look at but also fits the hand very well. Unbelievable value.

    Jean v. Young
  • Tieguanyin Floral, bouquet oolong

    An excellent floral-style Jin Guanyin that maintains its balance and does not lean too heavily into the “green” qualities that seem to dominate the market in modern times.

    This is a very easy-going daily-drinker that provides sweet fruity undertones, reminiscent of peaches and osmanthus, coupled with floral aromatics and a mellow body that mingle together perfectly to create a consistent and enjoyable cup, from first sip to aftertaste.

    It resists turning bitter or sharp & herbaceous in the cup, even when brewed Western-style for a long time. The price to quality ratio is outstanding, and makes this the perfect entry-point for somebody looking to explore the wonderful world of oolong.

    NN