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
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:
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.
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.
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:
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Premodern Peony, deep oxidation white tea
My first order has arrived. The first tea I tried was this Peony. Hence my first review.
This tea is a revelation. I’ve prepared commercial-grade white peony from a local teas shop, as well as other Chinese whites, and they tend to pleasant but one-dimensional; that familiar woody taste, but not much more. This peony has a full, round, complex flavour, as described above, making it much more interesting than the common whites. I can never go back to “modern” peonies now, let alone post-modern ones 🙂
2g/100ml/90°C/1,5min is a good starting point, with first a quick hot rinse, as I learned elsewhere on this site.
Colin Brace
Black Leaf Special, Phoenix dancong oolong
Gripping aroma
What a wonderful aroma comes out from this tea leaves after the first infusion: subtly cream undertone with a marvelous sun dried peach, tangerines and flowers. I have enjoyed them as much as their infusion. Really extraordinary. Highly recommended for those who likes dried (non fruity taste) tea.
Patricio HurtadoLongjing Traditional Supreme, hand-roasted green tea
Hello Mrs Ngo, normally we inspect our pre-Qingming green teas around early to mid April but need quality assurance processes for another two weeks. So likely to be late April the earliest. Will send mass newsletter to all registered customers when available.
Siu PB
Wudong Cassia, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang Rou Gui is an exceptionally rare cultivar, and makes for a very intriguing experience for the seasoned dancong aficionado who has been around the block with many of the usual Shui Xian hybrids.
This dancong is incredibly creamy and smooth, with a velvety texture and an oily viscosity to it that quickly spreads throughout the mouth and coats the entire throat as I continue to work the magical soup down into my belly.
The evolution of flavors and textures is stellar; across the full session, there is much to appreciate in every sip, and as I continue to work my way through the tea, it’s hard to miss the “wow” factor that these leaves bring. This is seriously impressive.
The initial sensations remind me of freshly churned butter and heavy cream infused with a touch of sweet cinnamon; it’s soft and round with no discernible edges to it, and has a warming spicy quality. The mouthfeel is doughy and chewy, like freshly baked scones or shortbread.
As the silky-smooth buttery notes melt away on the palate, they reveal a gorgeous bouquet of florals which remind me of white magnolia and lilies – but not just the blossoms, I’m talking about the stalks and stems too. This is a very three-dimensional experience, with great depth and nuance in every aspect of the flavor profile.
The milky, flowery notes get stronger even half-way through the session, and are joined by a powerful and characteristic dancong minerality which adds a lot of texture to the mouthfeel. It isn’t aggressive, but adds a touch of sharpness that gently cuts through the smooth, buttery-like qualities initially perceived on the palate, leaving behind what is undoubtedly a vibrant and earthy note of ginseng with slightly tart undertones which remind me of hibiscus flowers and cherries.
Towards the end of my session, those fruity undertones start to rise to the surface of the flavor profile, carrying with them a distinct fruity sweetness that is seamlessly integrated with notes of ginseng root soaked in cinnamon oil.
My favorite part about this tea is just how complex the mouthfeel is, and how much it changes over the course of a good, focused session. If you are a fan of the Jiang Mu cultivar, you don’t want to miss this one, it will certainly elevate your appreciation and understanding of Fenghuang dancong.