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 selections in different ways so you can see them in the context that is closest to how you think when selecting a tea:

• by the tea category • by the tea region • by the taste character • by the TCM character

Selection by the 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.

In addition to the five main categories: Green, Black, White, Pu’er ( Post-Fermentation ) and Oolong teas, we have included some subcategories such as matcha, cha bing, organic teas etc for easier focus for those who are looking for these.

Need more info about a category before seeing the products? Here are some articles:

• Green tea: What are green teas and what makes ours special
• Black tea: Black tea like it used to be. Before industrialisation…
• White tea: A white tea is defined by its biochemistry, not its colour
• Pu’er tea: The peculiar category of pu’er
• Oolong: Oolong — the gran cru of teas

Tea selection by the region

Tea selection by the TCM character

Eating right is core to maintaining health…

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 also categorise our collection by traditional Chinese medicinal character.

Tea selection by the taste character

Teas are like raw gems

At Tea Hong, we try to curate an all compassing array of supreme quality selections that represents the finest of different regions and their archetypical taste profiles. Yet even the finest of the most pristine teas are subject to the manifestation by the brewer. It is like a raw piece of gemstone waiting to be shaped in order to show its true beauty. Explore these treasures. Make our teas shine.

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.

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.

or refer to what other people think

NN

verified purchased

5/5

I'm 4 (or 5, who's counting?) bags into this sencha and I can't get enough, this is one of the most enjoyable and comple...
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x Japanese green teas I've come across. In my opinion, this is right up there with what one would reasonably expect in competition-grade batches. I'm amazed by how well this resists turning bitter - I can put 8 grams in a 400mL thermos, pour 180*F water into it, and seal it up for an hour or two before decanting & drinking. The resulting tea is remarkably smooth with perfect clarity in the flavor profile. The body is very slippery and chewy with no abrasiveness on the palate, and there are clear notes of mushrooms, watermelon, cucumbers, and thick undertones of sea lettuce (a type of green seaweed, Ulva lactuca). The flavors are very layered and surprisingly intact considering this time & temperature combo approaches the polar-opposite of one might expect to work well. I, on the flipside, can't get enough of this technique. This is the only way I brew this tea now. The cups it renders are so potent, with tons of flavor bursting out in every drop. If I lower the temperature, some creamy-floral notes seem to develop - along the lines of sea salt spritzed zucchini blossoms - so too does a distinct note of bee pollen, which really clings to the throat in the aftertaste. Such an invigorating experience. Every time I drink it I'm blown away.
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5 months ago

Kyoto Sencha Syunsai, organic Japanese green tea, 60 g

NN

verified purchased

5/5

This is good Qi Lan, I really enjoy the way it opens up and the way it maintains its composure across multiple brews. It...
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needs to be pushed hard, but has a lot of flavors to give, and the whole experience ends up being very enjoyable because every cup has great flavors and leaves some amazing sensations in the body & mind. The flavor profile is complex, and immediately bursts out with perfectly-intertwined notes of florals and spices, along with a creamy-smooth sensation and a deep earthiness that is characteristic of zhengyan yancha. The aftertaste is persistent, the sweetness is apparent, and the charm of this yancha lingers in the throat pleasantly for a while. Hui Yuan is one of the most expensive micro-terroirs in all of Wuyi, as it is one of the original "three pits and two streams" which define the most historically-accurate, and inner-most production regions in all of Wuyi. This is a very good price for what is undoubtedly very good yancha.
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2 years ago

Lily Eccentric, Wuyi yancha oolong, 40 g

NN

verified purchased

5/5

This is a very complex oolong, it took me a few sessions using both gong-fu and Western-style to feel like I had develop...
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ed a sufficient enough understanding to leave a review. Take your time with these leaves, don't rush them. They take a while to open up, and when they do, there are so many layers of flavor that you can peel back slowly and meticulously through a focused approach whether you're doing gong-fu or Western-style. Push the leaves towards the end of the session, give them a nice hot bath and let them steep for so long that a timer doesn't really matter anymore. This tea holds its composure very well and is graceful in its finish. The trick with this tea is to take your time with it. I can't stress that enough - take the time to have a relaxed and steady session with it. Sip it slowly, pay attention to the evolution of flavors as the soup cools, and see what aromatics you can lift off the bottom of an empty cup as it cools. You'll probably find so much that; like me, you'll have to brew it up again a few times in order to understand it even once. I see why this is an award-winning tea.
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3 years ago

Honey Concubine, medium deep baked Taiwan oolong, 70 g

Ai Han Ngau

Reviewer

5/5

Smooth and sweetSome other shu pu-erh may be smooth and sweet too, but this one also has richer taste than others I had ...
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before. My favourite pu-erh now it becomes.
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9 years ago

Cream of Pu'er 2020, naturally formed shu cha tea nuggets, 120 g

Karen Ager

Reviewer

5/5

Brewed it in a Ball jarNot as glamorous as using a gaiwan, but when I saw the ice-fire instructions, a Ball jar seemed t...
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o be a good choice for these tall tea shards in a vessel that would not crack with heat fluctuation. Strained it into a tall pitcher using a gold tea filter. I can definitely taste the apricot and grass tones. Just lovely.
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10 years ago

Taiping Houkui Traditional, green tea of shidaye cultivar, 50 g

Show more reviews (262)

Or if you want to see the product with the most reviews, on any product catalog page, simply sort to view products with the most reviews, or by popularity to see which are the best selling ones. Or simply go to our best sellers page.

Have fun browsing. In case of questions, jot us a line here: Contact us.