Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
TeaHQ has written about this pair
Baozhong is the lightest oxidised oolong there is, and the question of whether it is really an oolong at all is a reasonable one to ask.
- Oxidation
- Sencha: None. Fixed within hours.Baozhong: Minimal — enough to count as oolong, barely.
- Processing
- Sencha: Steamed and rolled. No bruising step.Baozhong: Withered, lightly bruised, fixed, strip-rolled.
- Flavour
- Sencha: Grassy, marine and savoury.Baozhong: Lilac, cream and sweet grass. Highly aromatic and light-bodied.
- Brewing
- Sencha: Cooler still, around 70 °C.Baozhong: Cooler than any other oolong — around 85–90 °C.
- Where it sits
- Sencha: The reference point for steamed green tea.Baozhong: The natural first step from green tea into oolong.
In summary: Baozhong is the bridge. Anyone who likes green tea and has been put off oolong by roasted examples should start here.
Point by point
| Dimension | Sencha | Baozhong |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Green tea · unoxidised | Oolong · minimally oxidised |
| Production | In order: Steaming (Japanese fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying. bud and two leaves and spring harvest. | In order: Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying. bud and three plus and spring harvest. |
| Origin | Japan | Taiwan |
| Flavour | grassy, vegetal, umami and citrus. medium, drying and astringent in the mouth. Aroma: cut grass, steamed greens, sea air, citrus zest. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. | floral, creamy and vegetal. light and silky in the mouth. Aroma: lilac, hyacinth, fresh cream, young leaves. Moderate in character. Delicate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 70–80 °C, first steep 60s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 3–4 g/100 ml at 65–75 °C, first steep 20s of 4 authored. Kyusu brewing (Japanese style): 3–5 g/100 ml at 65–75 °C, first steep 60s of 3 authored. Flash-chilled iced tea: 2–3 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 90s. | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 4–5 g/100 ml at 85–92 °C, first steep 15s of 5 authored. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 180s of 2 authored. |
| Cultural context | Used in Senchadō (the way of steeped tea) and Japanese tea farming practice. | Not recorded for this tea. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and is traditionally drunk plain. | Someone who prefers a quiet cup they can drink through an afternoon and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.