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:
- pancakes
Cassia Extraordinaire, Wuyi yancha oolong
Stunning & memorable (2011 version)
This is an outstanding tea that is unlike and better than any other Wuyi oolong I’ve tasted (with the possible exception of Tea Hong’s Sacred Lily). It infuses forever, and somehow manages to display lasting aromatic characters alongside power and intensity, but with no element dominant and no intrusive charcoal. Every mouthful is pleasurable. It’s worth every cent.
Critical John
Bamboo Drum
Reply
I am glad to hear from a customer the kind of attachment he can develop for an Yixing pot like I can. Welcome to the world of tea.
The wuhui shao method is for creating the colour of the clay and is independent of clay quality. As you have guessed, it is done after the pot is properly fired.
This particular pot you bought is of low density but not necessarily low temperature. In real Yixing clay firing, even low temperature is around 1000°C, unless it is not of Yixing material. The density of a pot can be affected by the clay composition and treatment it has received prior to pot making. For example, a mix of combustable materials in the clay or clay that has been fermented for very long can result in low density yet fired at high temperature.
High density, for the same reason, does not always mean a genuine clay fire at high temperature. For example, some people mix glass and iron in ordinary clay to make it high density.
At the end of the day, it is the tactility and infusion effects that matter.
This particular pot has a matte finish, quite porous because of the low density and this finish. To old tea nerds like me, this is a great fun to season, because it takes in a lot of tea before it really transforms. That means time and patience. The infusion effect can be worse than the gaiwan in the beginning for this porosity but gradually changes. It is that kind of pot that requires real attention. However, when result gradually becomes obvious, it is the joy of “raising the pot”.
I hope that answers your questions. Please let me know otherwise.
Cheers,
Leo Kwan
April Mist, traditional green tea
Excellent fresh “clouds and mist” green tea
Tianshan April Mist (“Wild Bush Yunwu”): This is a green tea of the yunwu (“clouds and mist”) type. The pictures show a tea with vividly deep green leaves, twisted into small curls. Since it is a yunwu type and the description uses words like strong, bright, and sharp, it grabbed my attention immediately. Leo says that this tea is, “for those who prefer strength in their green tea rather than soft, rounder tastes.” That sounds like me, so this was the tea that I anticipated the most. I was surprised when I opened the container – the smell is very fresh and pungent, but not in a bad way. In fact, the dry leaves have a stronger smell than any other green teas I have had. The infusion is a lively light green, and gives a brisk but full-bodied, fresh, and flavorful taste. It really brings those bright “green tea” qualities to the foreground. I am really fascinated by this tea, which has such an unassuming appearance. Since trying this tea for the first time, it has become my “go to” green tea. As a bonus, its status as a “clouds and mist” green tea makes me feel like I’m drinking tea with Taoist hermits deep in the mountains. 😉