SE Chung Oolong Loose Leaf Tea

🍵 The Leaf — Broad, well-formed leaves from Anxi County in Fujian Province, lightly rolled and oxidised only to the very edges — one of the most gently processed oolongs from this celebrated Chinese tea-growing region

🍵 The Colour — A pale, luminous golden-green liquor, clear and clean in the cup, with a soft aroma of meadow flowers and a whisper of warm nuttiness rising from the pot

🍵 The Character — Mild and smooth from first sip to last, with a naturally sweet, lightly herbaceous quality and a subtle nutty finish that makes this an oolong that speaks softly and rewards attention

🍵 The Occasion — An ideal cup for those moments when you want something refined without intensity — a considered mid-morning brew, a quiet afternoon drink, or a gentle after-dinner infusion that sits easily at any hour

SE Chung is one of China's lesser-known oolong treasures — a loose leaf Chinese oolong tea from Anxi County in Fujian Province that is quietly exceptional and often undervalued beside its more celebrated neighbours. The name translates broadly as 'colourful variety', which is a fitting description for a category that encompasses the full diversity of Anxi oolongs beyond the famous Tie Guan Yin. Where Tie Guan Yin commands attention, SE Chung offers something rarer in the tea world: genuine, unhurried subtlety.

Fujian Province has been the heartland of oolong production for centuries, with Anxi County long recognised as one of its great centres of craft. The oolongs produced here tend to be lighter in oxidation than those of the Wuyi Mountains to the north, and SE Chung sits at the more delicate end of even that spectrum. The broad, well-formed leaves are lightly withered, gently rolled, and then allowed to oxidise only until the very edges begin to brown. At that point the tea is fired, arresting the process and locking in its distinctive green-style character — a careful balance between the freshness of a fine green tea and the quiet depth of a classic oolong.

The result in the cup is a pale golden-green liquor of real clarity, mild and smooth with a naturally clean finish. There is a gentle herbaceous quality, a soft floral note, and a subtle nuttiness in the aftertaste that gives the tea its personality without ever becoming heavy or astringent. This is a tea that makes no demands on the drinker. It simply rewards.

SE Chung has long been a favourite in Hong Kong's Chinese restaurants, where it is traditionally served to cleanse the palate and complement food without competing with it. That quiet versatility translates equally well to the home — as a morning cup that does not overwhelm, or a calm wind-down at the end of the day.

Since 2008, High Teas London has been one of the country's leading independent tea specialists. With over 350 teas and infusions — one of the largest collections available anywhere in the UK — we have spent years finding teas of real quality and genuine character. SE Chung is exactly the kind of tea we are proud to carry: unpretentious, beautifully made, and quietly remarkable in the cup.

Ingredients: Oolong tea.

Brewing Note: SE Chung rewards a measured approach. Use water at around 85 to 90°C — freshly boiled water left to cool for a minute or two works well, as water that is too hot can flatten the tea's more delicate notes. Add one heaped teaspoon per cup and steep for three to four minutes; lean towards three for a lighter, more floral result, or allow it the full four minutes for a touch more depth and nuttiness. The leaves will give two or three good infusions, with each successive brew becoming progressively lighter in colour and more gently floral in character. SE Chung is best enjoyed without milk — its flavour is clean and complete just as it is.