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FIR Houjicha, far-infrared roasted green tea petioles, 40 g
Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Neutral Energy, TeaUS$16.8遠赤外線 深煎りほうじ茶
An old style petiole tea much elevated using modern technology
Much like roasting green coffee beans to brown colour for making a dark colour drink, a houjicha is a green tea that is deeply roasted. Unlike in China or Taiwan, where a large variety of oolongs and black teas are there readily to choose from for deep baking or roasting, producers in Japan mostly have only green tea to work with. While it sounds straight forward, to find one which taste is respectable is not easy. The very brittle nature of Japanese green tea leaves does not yield much taste when deep roasted. Roasted bancha — i.e. houjicha of lower grade leaves — which is often served in any neighbourhood eateries, is an example. Since larger, older and under-processed leaves are used and the final quality reflects that. There is one kind of houjicha, however, that caught our attention: that from one of our Uji producers who has mastered the process of roasting using a far-infrared system. Much like in our Karigane where the relative higher cellulose and carbohydrate contents in the petioles gives a sweeter and a relatively more complex dimension, this far infrared deep roasted version of purely small leaf stalks does have a pleasantly warm and tidily intact taste profile. My first encounter with something similar was a small cup served after a luxurious crab kaiseki meal in a pristinely beautiful traditional formal style restaurant. It was quite an impressive surprise. To me, this easy going tea doesn’t have to be enjoyed only after an expensive meal. It can be easily infused using a hot or cold infusion method and it is quite forgiving of irregularities. It suits a lot of occasions where tea is a complement. And it is a nice one.
Net weight: 40g (1.4oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Snowy Egret, Taiwan green tea
Cool Energy, Green teas, Home, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Taiwan, TeaUS$23.0明前白鷺 簡約綠茶
Bai Lu Green Tea
Most green tea varieties made in Taiwan are processed with an approach so minimalist that the quality of the harvest and the characteristics of the cultivar almost entirely dictate the resultant taste profile. Processing skills are needed there to optimise it but when the weather or harvesting condition are not good, there is not a lot one can do during processing to salvage the quality. In order to deliver the very best representation of what a premium Taiwan green tea can be, we have chosen a flavourful cultivar that many have used to produce black teas and Oriental Beauty with for our green tea: TTES#17*. Tea Hong’s Snowy Egret is made in a specially designated farm from only the first flush of Bai Lu and masterfully handmade by the farm’s owner. Still, a fine harvest like this one in offer cannot be taken for granted every year.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Bulang Maocha 2016, Pu’er shengcha, 40 g
Home, Lighter Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er loose leaf shengcha, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanUS$15.5明前喬木 私藏布朗銀毫毛茶
Forest Tree Tea:
Deep in the mountains in Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan tea trees grow wild amongst other woods and plants in Bulang Shan. Ethnic mountain people, particularly women, bring with them wood ladders and a plank for platform for plucking in tea season, perhaps as it has always been since antiquity. As a continuation of this tradition, Bulang Silver Spring is hand-processed and slow dried over wood charcoal the same way. This shengcha puer is bright and refreshing when consumed as a new tea, or can be put away for maturity.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide Kraft-alu pack -
Ise Matcha Mugetsu, 30 g
Cold Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, TeaUS$24.3伊勢 御濃茶 夢月
Master ceremonial grade at great value
If you are beyond those matcha lattes or smoothies and want to experience the virtues of a pure matcha, begin with a more genuine quality. One that is from the leaves of the Asahi and Gokou cultivars and that are properly shaded-grown and processed, i.e. from a high quality tencha for the umami, creaminess, low astringency and vibrant green colour. And that is slowly and finely ground to the smooth powder form for untainted purity and silkiness. Presenting Tea Hong’s Ise Matcha Mugetsu, a great value premium selection that is suitable for making either usucha in a chakai or koicha for a chaji ‘tea ceremony’. Even if you are not into those Japanese style tea gatherings, a properly whisked bowl of a fine quality matcha without the masks of foamed dairy is a sheer moment of peaceful happiness in itself.
Net weight: 30g (1.06oz) in double-lidded tin -
Uji Organic Matcha Sasameyuki, premium ceremonial grade, 30 g
Cold Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, Organic teas, TeaUS$24.3宇治 有機 抹茶 細雪 (濃茶)
The best tasting organic matcha we have sampled
While there is no shortage of organic products in the market, getting one that offers the right taste is the most difficult part. That’s why we focus our effort in the mecca of top quality Japanese tea — Uji — to satisfy the different needs of different patrons. While a true connoisseur would want to indulge in the pure and rich flavours typical of a finest matcha, a Zen drinker needs a medium to open windows to the inner soul through the intricate yet solid presence of a tranquillising aftertaste. And then there are those who just want a top quality as their drink ingredient. The patrons in a most exclusive hotel in London seem to agree. We send more of this tea to their discretely beautiful tearoom and cafe than any other varieties. Tea Hong’s Uji Matcha Sasameyuki is the best quality organic production from the same tea master team who directs the quality of our top master grade Uji Matcha Tokumukashi. Their production facility in Higashiyama in Uji is certified for the strictest international food safety standard FSSC22000, and for organic production by Japan Organic and Natural Foods Association (JONA) under the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS).
Net weight: 30g (1.06oz) in double-lidded tin -
Bai Hua Shu 2012, shengcha Pu’er maocha, 40 g
Cold Energy, Floral Aromas, Pu'er loose leaf shengcha, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanUS$33.8一年一採 百花樹
One Hundred Flower Trees
Going pass the famous Jingmai tea region and deep into the rocky mountains of Lancang Lahu, 1800m above sea level into the turf of the Haqniq ( aka Hani ) tribes, enter the ancient hermit village of One Hundred Flower Trees ( hence the name Bai Hua Shu ). The tougher climate here maybe a little too rough for domesticated tea cultivars, so only indigenous tea trees grow here, and they are really old. The locals say all are at least 200 hundred years. They are harvested only once a year for their first flush. The fresh tea is always very potent. We have matured it for over 10 years to make sure their beautifully tamed characters can be well manifested in your cup.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide Kraft-alu pack -
Bang Xie Maocha 2007, Pu’er shengcha, 40 g
Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er loose leaf shengcha, Pu'er teas, Tea, YunnanUS$24.3珍藏明前 邦協藤條茶
Whipping Rattan Tea
In historical herbal literature, tea is referred to as bitter, “extremely cold” to the body constituents, but effectively detoxicating. That basically is what is the raw tea leaf. While green tea is cooked, and most white tea is from plants that are severely tamed through breeding, Pu’er maocha maybe the closest thing one can get commercially nowadays for what the ancients had referred to. Yet in order to offer a tea that is taste worthy, we have to find plants that are strong and soil that is rich to provide that potential. And dry those leaves from the first flush and age them well to round off all the edges and deepen the tastes. A Whipping Rattan Tea bush is such pruned that buds just flush in the tips of its few branches. All the plant’s nutrients are thus focused in these few young leaves. We think that would be good raw material for us to process and age. Presenting the very special Whipping Rattan Bang Xie Maocha, aged since 2007. A unique Pu’er tea in every way.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide Kraft-alu pack -
White Peony Classic Floral, traditional white tea, 40 g
Cool Energy, Home, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Minnan/ Mindong, Fujian, Tea, White teasUS$23.1明前 福鼎牡丹王
Finest Fuding Bai Mudan
Slowly cured in the grand tradition in the origin of white teas, Fuding, Tea Hong's White Peony Classic Floral maintains the original character of floral aroma with a sweet, refreshing taste. White Peony Classic Floral is a first flush from a high altitude garden of pure Fuding Daibai cultivar, ensuring the best possible health potency of white tea. We have matured the current batch since Spring 2019 in our environment to ensure the best possible gastronomic experience.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide kraft-alu wide -
Pasha Old Tree 2017, shengcha Pu’er maocha, 40 g
Cold Energy, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Home, Pu'er loose leaf shengcha, Pu'er teas, Tea, YunnanUS$25.7帕沙野生老樹 生茶
Maocha from Wild Old Trees
Of all the sub-regions in Yunnan, Pasha is my personal favourite for shengcha. Its yields are typically more floral, rounder and sweeter yet still carrying the terra’s characters of a little punch. We have included also a cha bing (Pasha 2013) in our Pu’er offering in addition to this premium harvest loose leaf maocha. Although both are produced with top picks from this same area, the two different forms deliver different, yet somehow related taste profiles. The pure, gentle, direct and honest rawness of the loose leaf is a different kind of enjoyment from the transformed taste characteristics of the compressed form. Similar leaves, two teas. Compare them to find out which one you like better. It may tell a thing or two about yourself. We have matured the loose leaf for 7 years before making it available for a better representation of the true Pasha quality.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide Kraft-alu pack
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Uji Gyokuro Yayoinoin, national competition production, 25 g / 60 g
Cold Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, TeaPrice range: US$33.2 through US$57.9品評会出品 宇治玉露 弥生の韻
In their small but well organised production workshop in Uji, Master Yoshida and his team carefully sample taste each batch of tea throughout its production process. It is his own reputation that is at stake. As a multiple award winning 16th generation gyokuro master, pursuit for quality is the only way to maintain this honour, and that of his family name. Only the best first flush leaves are selected for processing in this highly specialised workshop. Each step of the processing is monitored and adjusted on the spot for maximising the taste quality. Differences in the weather throughout the growth of the harvest and even the picking time and conditions affect the biochemistry of the leaves. For a green tea, this directly affects the final taste. Adding one degree in heating or a few minutes of baking to optimise the potential of each batch of leaves can therefore mean whether the tea will be good or distinctively superb. Tea Hong’s Uji Gyokuro Yayoinoin is one of these ultimate quality, limited quantity batches hand-rolled by the Master himself, and that we have secured before the annual tea competition. (We wouldn’t be able to offer it if we buy it afterward when it wins. Domestic demand for an award tea is huge even when the price skyrockets upon winner declaration.)
Available in 25g (0.88oz) in a double lidded tin, or in 60g (2.1oz) in a kraft-alu pillow pack. Please click below to choose. -
Sayama Japanese black tea Yume Wakaba, 50 g
Black teas, Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Japan, Neutral Energy, TeaUS$25.0狭山和紅茶 夢若葉
Wakocha from volcanic soil made by 17th generation tea master
A limited size production rolled with a wooden roller for lengthening the oxidation duration vs the speed, this exceptional “wakocha” — Japanese black tea — of purely the leaves of the local cultivar Yume Wakaba — ゆめわかば (kanji: 夢若葉) is the prized production by the multiple award winning Master Shimizu. These leaves grown on the dark volcanic soil of the Sayama area carry with them a distinctive mineral character like no other we have tasted. It is also the attention and skills by this 17th generation tea farmer that has made this tea stands out so well to convince us to have it as the first Japanese black tea in our collection.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Organic Matcha Unshin, ceremonial grade, 150 g
Cold Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, Organic teas, TeaUS$35.5有機 御抹茶 雲心 (濃茶)
Top quality at great value
While there are many shops and brands offering organic matcha, finding one which taste quality meets our high requirements is a challenge. In our product line structure, it has to be good enough for chanoyu and at the same time economic enough for making different daily drinks or other recipes. Tea Hong’s ceremonial grade Organic Matcha Unshin is sourced exactly for this purpose. Produced by the same team that gives our wonderful Uji Matcha Tokumukashi, and harvested from an isolated tea field for organic management, we are so confident of its quality that this very same production was the first Japanese tea we wholesale exported to EU, and growing in volume ever since. We also have a special quality from this same producer to provide to premium hotels in EU and UK. Now with Organic Matcha Unshin easily available online, when you whisk up a bowl of koicha to savour a mindfulness moment, or blend it with milk and cream to make a matcha latte to win the hearts of your friends, or simply casually whisk up a bowl of ushucha for a work companion, you know you are using a quality that you can rely on.
Net weight: 150g (5.3oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Yiwu Maocha 2017, Pu’er shengcha, 40 g
Cold Energy, Floral Aromas, Pu'er loose leaf shengcha, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanUS$13.9雨前 易武毛茶
Famous Origin
It is said that the indigenous people in Yiwu Mountain began using tea for its medicinal purposes in the third century. The cure would soon became a beverage habit and later a trading commodity. Regardless of history, Yiwu is indeed one of the most renowned region in Yunnan for the tea’s fragrance. We have discovered a great value batch to share with you for a taste of this character without the usual unreal price tag. By design, there are three relatively younger teas in this Puer Maocha series and this is one of them. Some people like their maocha fresher, while others prefer it aged. Compare and see which kind you prefer!
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Misty Heights #8, Taiwan’s very own Assamica black tea, 40 g
Black teas, Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Taiwan, TeaUS$23.4雲嶺八號、高海拔台版阿薩姆紅茶
Driving south towards Alishan from Yuchi*, the birthplace of black tea in Taiwan, along the mountainous road through emerald forests, in about two hours time, one can stop by a scenic local hideouts: Yunling*. Here, Master Zheng moves naturally through his stepped tea garden on the slope at elevation 1300m, despite his rather round body. One large patch of his farm is populated with a locally improved version of the Indian tea cultivar Jaipuri*. The whole leaf black tea that he produces using this plant tastes so smooth and delicate that one wonders why a similar thing isn’t found in Assam, where the original tea cultivar was transplanted from back in 1923. Maybe it is the beautiful sceneries here, or maybe it is the specialist tea craft, or maybe it is the culture of Taiwan, or maybe a bit of everything, that turns this immigrant plant into this friendly, smooth and yet intricately complex black tea, Tea Hong’s Misty Heights #8, while remaining that uniquely engaging maltiness that makes an Assamica popular.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Kyoto Sencha Syunsai, organic Japanese green tea, 60 g
Cold Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, Organic teas, TeaUS$26.5春霽 おくゆたか 有機京都一番摘
A well delivered kick with the “just right” amount of strength is the joy of sencha for many tea drinkers. The key, though, is in whether the tea delivers the layers and intricacies like any fine tea should. A not so commonly employed tea cultivar, Okuyutaka, which can yield a finer aroma and more complex taste than other popular tea plants, is used for this top notch organic sencha of our pick. In addition to harvest quality, the mastery and care in processing is critical. Our producer in Kyoto spends more than double the time compared to the modern method so the rolling and heating of the leaves can be gradual and slow in order to render the truly traditional, and more complex taste profile of a respectable sencha. Presenting Tea Hong’s Kyoto Sencha Syunsai, a most enjoyable old style Japanese green tea by the multiple award winning tea master Kikuoka sensei and his diligent team. Net weight: 60g (2.1oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Pasha 2013, matured Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanPrice range: US$280.0 through US$1,813.0老同志 名山系列 2013 帕沙古樹
Zou Bing Liang’s master piece
In the first decade of my tea career I used to neglect shengcha puer as an over-hyped lot. Poor products flooded so much of the market that the category alienated itself from me as a tea lover. Pasha changed all that. Its beautiful complexity converted me. From there on I have made a conscious effort in screening true gems amidst crowds of trite. ( Isn’t that true in all other tea varieties as well?) Shengcha from various subregions now has earned a place in my own repertoire. That from Pasha, however, is still my most preferred. Master Zou’s ( Lao Tong Zhi ) team has certainly done a very good job in making this cha bing. This batch was exactly the same one that I tasted in his workshop in Yunnan and when I was converted and decided that I would carry the tea. These years of maturing have most wonderfully brought more depth and body to both the aroma and taste. We have set it at the lower market price available anywhere in the hope that more can experience this amazing tea. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster's Box: Shengcha Pu'er Cha Bings. If you are interested, a loose leaf Pu'er shengcha also from Pasha is available in the shop: Pasha Old Tree
Net weight per discus: 500 g (17.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack:
