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:

  • Cassia Extraordinaire, Wuyi yancha oolong

    Excellent Tea

    Good orchid aroma with a clear floral and cinnamon flavor. Good huigan, body, and thickness in the mouth. Smooth, slightly sour taste which is extremely pleasant. Short gongfu brews produce depth of flavor, revealing layers of mineral and sweet flavors. One of the best Rou Gui’s I’ve ever had.

    Jeffrey Novick
  • Eight Immortals Wudong, Phoenix dancong oolong

    This is the best Ba Xian money can buy, and the most sophisticated and elegant representation of the cultivar that any dancong aficionado could ever hope to stumble across. Be prepared to break up with your current-favorite Ba Xian because this one will put it to shame and save you money at the same time.

    Ba Xian of this caliber always costs more than $1/g, and the price of this one is clearly a reflection of an excellent relationship Tea Hong has with an amazing grower/processor.

    The depth of the flavor profile is astonishing, and the clarity between each layer of flavor is unparalleled. There’s so much going on, and all of it retains its clarity across the full session whether I brew this up gongfu-style or Western-style. No matter your preference or skill level, this Ba Xian will consistently return some of the best cups of tea you’ll ever have in your life.

    Thick and juicy, luscious fruity flavors with heady floral accents and pervasive undertones of honey that stitch together a flawless experience, starting with the aroma coming off the dry leaf to the very last wafts of aromatics that you can lift off the bottom of an empty cup as it cools.

    This dancong is forgiving where others are finicky; it retails its clarity where others become muddied, it goes the extra mile where others become exhausted. The body is fully developed and the spine is strong, it will never offer a disappointing experience.

    This Ba Xian is truly a gift.

    NN
  • Orchid Gratus, Phoenix dancong oolong

    Fascinating, yet comfort.
    While the aroma is highly suggestive for dried fruits, woods, and spices like forest honey. The liquor is surprisingly luscious with notes of butter then gradually reveals the iconic cooked apple character which lingers in the deeper sensation. It makes the impression of hard-boiled spiced apple candy, dense aroma and mouthfeel with comfort sensation .
    As a self-proclaimed devotee for Xingren Xiang Dancong, this Orchid Gratus is the best representation of the traditional craft and pinnacle quality. If anyone is into the classic Phoenix oolongs I will definitely introduce this tea to him.

    Danupon S.
  • Lapsang Souchong Pristine, traditional black tea

    Restocking

    Hello Minh, thanks for the question. The current harvest is in maocha state and still needs some work and resting. I guess it will be May, if not late April. Will update in newsletter.

    Siu PB