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:

  • Danhu Old Bush Song Cultivar, Phoenix dancong oolong

    This is metaphysical-grade dan cong.

    What an exquisite and remarkable experience; every aspect of this tea, from the aroma of the dry leaf to the last sensations felt on the palate in the aftertaste, are completely and entirely without flaw. The execution of every single step in the making of this dan cong exemplifies sheer mastery of a craft that is hundreds, if not thousands, of years in the making.

    This tea is utterly perfect, it could not get any better. I would have an easier time explaining what is at the end of two mirrors placed opposite each other, than I would be describing just how flawless this dan cong is. Even the best of poets would struggle to capture the ineffable beauty of this tea… there are simply no words that could be strung together that would effectively capture the experience that awaits the drinker.

    Not only is this the best Huangzhi Xiang I’ve ever had, it’s also the best dan cong I’ve ever had. It may seem expensive, but for what it is, it’s actually underpriced, and I just want to thank Tea Hong for making such an experience like this possible.

    The cong wei is very direct and apparent, the cha qi is transcendental, and the flavor profile is deeper than the Marianna Trench. If you are looking for a metaphysical-grade experience, you will find it here.

    nnikolayev
  • GABA Orange Extra, de-oxygenised oxidation Taiwan oolong

    Thank you for sharing your experience. All our bead shape Taiwan oolongs are tightly rolled. Upon very short infusion time, indeed the release rate will be slow. That is why you are getting a lot of infusion rounds. If the strength from the quick brew is already satisfactory to you, maybe less leaves using a slightly longer infusion time will give you a whole new horizon in the taste of this tea. Again as a general reference: https://www.teaguardian.com/tea-hows/gongfu-infusion-parameters-general/

    Tea Hong
  • Red Jade, Taiwan TTES#18 black tea

    Again, glad you have enjoyed this tea. It is indeed one of my favourite black teas and not too many people have even heard about it. For your high sensitivity in taste, if you venture into the arena of a longer steep you will find even more wonders in this gem of Taiwan.

    Leo Kwan
  • Shèmen Dancong Double Baked, Phoenix dancong oolong

    I am truly amazed at your sensibility in tea tasting. Seems like you were someone my age (which cannot be, I am really old) to be able to recognise the old way of processing and baking for a fine Fenghuang Dancong. Indeed a large proportion of producers avoid the traditional and more demanding steps not only for lowering the demand on resources, but also for a current trend for shorter oxidation and lighter baking. This is happening not only in lesser regions, but also in renowned origins. For a same batch of fresh tealeaves, the newer style is easier to master and takes much less time. It saves costs and requires lesser expertise, and is understandably marketed a lot more aggressively. While the old style produces a deeper and more intricate taste profile, the art is not propagating as much as I’d like to see. A need by the market is the only driving force for it to stay. It is only with a traditionally produced Phoenix Dancong that is properly aged can receive a secondary deeper baking for maturing into a tea like this one. I am grateful that there is an appreciator of this quality outside of Asia and Chinese diasporas.

    Leo Kwan