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:

  • GABA Orange Extra, de-oxygenised oxidation Taiwan oolong

    Thirsty Pebbles

    What’s all this talk about Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)? I ordered this tea based on the lovely description of its taste and the tantalizing photo of the tea itself. I had no idea that the name refers to an oxygen-free, nitrogen-rich fermentation process that boosts levels of naturally occurring GABA. This compound is said to offer possible benefits to the central nervous system. Lord knows, my nervous system could use a gigantic chill-pill. But that’s not why I love this tea. Here’s why: The dry GABA nuggets offer up a heady aroma while the brewed tea’s color and flavor suggest apricot. It’s woody, not sweet. On the second infusion, the leaves plumped up so big, they almost lifted the lid off my gaiwan. I probably used too much tea and underestimated its penchant for water. That was my mistake, but a happy one. The transformation and the taste were both thoroughly enjoyable.

    Karen Ager
  • Eight Immortals Wudong, Phoenix dancong oolong

    We have really enjoyed your comment of this one and tried visualise the same picture. Some of us said we should be that eight immortal fairies chilling out for a tea picnic in the park. 🙂

    Tea Hong
  • Cold Dew Alishan, bouquet Taiwan oolong

    This is a very unique Taiwanese oolong, I don’t think I’ve ever had anything which has the same flavor profile as this Cold Dew Alishan has. It features attributes that you might typically find in other Taiwanese oolongs, but the combination of elements here feels very unique.

    It’s creamy yet tart, with a smooth mouthfeel perfectly intertwined with apparent notes of hibiscus flowers and rose hips that gently cut through the buttery notes and accentuate the body of tea. There are distinct overtones of herbs and spices, like rosemary, pine, juniper, fennel, and hints of nettle which contribute to the sharpness and clarity of this otherwise seductively smooth flavor profile.

    The body is soft and smooth, and the aftertaste is thick and pungent. There are undertones of rice and oat milk which continue to build in the mouth as the session progresses, with some malted cereal grains eventually coming out towards the end. This tea maintains its composure even into the aftertaste, where the grains seem to develop a honey-like sweetness.

    The aftertaste brings with it a powerful and textured mouthfeel, with a distinct oily quality to it and a powerful spicy-yet-cooling sensation that is reminiscent of the tiniest hint of clove oil. It’s not so powerful that it becomes an actual flavor; it’s just powerful enough to leave an impression on the palate and linger before gradually subsiding.

    This is a complex oolong and worth every penny.

    If you are a fan of the way GABA oolongs make you feel, or perhaps you like tea with good “cha qi” – make sure you check this one out. Besides its flavor profile, it is also quite a powerful tea in the body and stimulating in the brain.

    NN
  • Tongmuguan One, traditional black tea

    Amazing and very different taste and aroma. This is the best black tea I have ever had.

    Brigitte Thompson