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:

  • Honey Orchid Supreme, classic Phoenix dancong oolong

    Deep tea

    I am not able to make such good writing to describe this wonderful oolong, but I have to share this : this tea is even more wonderful when brew for a long time! 4 friends came for dinner yesterday but I was out of tea. I have only a tablespoonful of this tea in the bag. I knew I cannot make kung fu style because there were total 7 people too many small for serving like that. So I put all the tealeaves in a big teapot and brew for 8 minutes! I hoped it will be strong enough to taste because so few leaves. It was the most wonderful cup of tea I ever have. All people said same thing. I am so happy to discover this

    Ai Han Ngau
  • Shèmen Dancong Double Baked, Phoenix dancong oolong

    The very first Phoenix tea that really “rocks” me.
    The first impression from the strong infusion of gongfu approach is, it rocks! It hits hard in the very first sense then mellows out in toasty grains and finishes with concentrated cool fruity sensation. The finish itself is very long, sweet, like a good stone fruit.
    And, yes, it rocks. It’s energy stimulates my entire sense and seems to expand it further but not too hasty. I’m glad to meet this tea.

    Danupon S.
  • Honey Orchid, Phoenix dancong oolong

    Yummy. I’ve tried both this and the Mi Lan Supreme, and while my inner tea snob prefers the Supreme, this less expensive version is still a very good example of Mi Lan Xiang and has an amazing price to quality ratio.

    The inherent honey and nectar-like characteristics are the focal point of the journey that unfolds over the course of a long and thoroughly enjoyable gong-fu session. Thick yet smooth, with a powerful mouthfeel and a graceful evolution of flavors and sensations across the full session, this one captures the essence of what makes Mi Lan Xiang among the most popular and most famous of all Fenghuang cultivars.

    It’s juicy, fruity, and peachy-sweet with an oily quality that sinks deeper and deeper into the palate with every sip. The undertones of honey get stronger as the cup cools, but it never loses the clarity and smoothness in the body even when the soup is left to cool down to room temperature. It maintains a consistently elegant flavor profile no matter how you brew it or how you drink it.

    I love the dynamic nature of this Mi Lan, it responds very well to being brewed up in the gong-fu style, but I actually prefer to brew this Western-style because you can see the full breadth and depth of flavors this tea has to offer in every sip. I could comfortably keep both this and the Mi Lan Supreme in my stash – the Supreme would be for gong-fu infusions, and this one would be for Western-style infusions.

    NN
  • Luan Guapian Supreme, traditional green tea

    Delicious and refreshing. I find this tea is all about the finish and aftertaste – it’s very complex and persistent. It lasts for a while, and continues to evolve in a way that very few other green teas do.

    This particular example of Luan Guapian is notably sweeter and less bitter than other versions that you might find from different vendors. It’s textured and nuanced where others are flat, thin, and lack depth of flavor.

    Initially, this tea opens up with some notes of lightly roasted sunflower seeds and steamed spinach. It’s got a thick and creamy body, reminiscent of cashew butter, and as the flavor profile evolves on the palate it becomes sweeter and develops some intricate fruity and floral notes. The mouthfeel is complex and vibrant all the way through, from the initial sip to the last remaining sensations in the aftertaste.

    I also enjoy the cha qi – it’s soothing and calming in the body, but apparent and focused in the mind, which makes it a good tea to drink before meditation, both in the morning and evening.

    NN