Oolong Tea

Oolong tea

Oolong tea belongs to semi-fermented tea, which is between green tea and black tea with the characteristics of green tea’s fresh and black tea’s strong flavor. According to the difference of oolong tea’s procedures, the percentage of ferment can be defined from 25% to 75%. The four production zones of oolong tea are Taiwan, Guangzhou, Southern and Northern Fujian. There are famous oolong teas with different distinctive characteristics which derived directly from the local soil, water and the whole grown environment, and the customs of making procedures is the other main reason.

The percentage of ferment in Northern Fujian Province is heavier than other oolong tea production zones, it is between 45% and 75%. The mountains in this area is composed of rock, and the tea is growing in the gap between the rocks which causing the tea has a special flavor of Osmanthus. Owing to the different mountains and the different types of tea bushes, there are many different flavors of oolong tea produced in Wuyi zone. Besides the most well-known Dahongpao, there are many other famous teas in this production zone, such as Shuixian, Baijiguan, Tieluohan and so on.

The percentage of ferment in Southern Fujian Province production zone is between 25% and 50%. It is said that this area is the origin and the earliest place to produce oolong tea, and according to the related files, it is established in 1725. Then it is spread to Northern Fujian Province, Guangdong and Taiwan Provinces. It is found that oolong tea has a function of losing weight in 1970s, until then the oolong tea had become a kind of popular tea in Japan and other western countries. There are many well-known oolong teas born in this area because choosing different types of tea bush as the material to make the tea, such as Tieguanyin, Huangjingui, Benshan,etc.

The percentage of ferment in Guangdong Province zone is between 35% and 65%. The oolong tea produced in this area mainly comes from Mountain Phoenix, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province. Compared with the oolong tea produced in Northern Fujian Province, the characteristics of oolong tea in this area is similar with it except that all the names of Dancong oolong tea in Mountain Phoenix are given by their different kinds of fragrance.

Mixiang  honey an orchid taste

Guihuaxiang osmanthus taste

Xinrenxiang almond taste

The percentage of ferment in Taiwan Province production zone is between 25% and 55%. There are two sorts of oolong teas produced in this area. One is slightly fermented Wenshanbaozhong with loosen dry leaves appearance. The other one is lightly fermented Dongding produced in Nantou County, with a tight and in the shape of hemisphere dry leaves appearance. Except the tea above mentioned, there are other famous teas, such as Dongfangmeiren, Alishan oolong and so on.

 

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Dahongpao

Dahongpao is the most special one in Chinese oolong tea, and also known as the King of oolong tea for its heavy fragrance and pure obvious flavor of osmanthus aftertaste. The bright and dark green dry leaves appearance is long but thick and strong, the tea soup is golden reddish, and the spent leaves is green and red crossed and can be brewed for many times.

Anxi Tieguanyin

Anxi Tieguanyin comes from Xiping, Anxi County. It is a special tea bush chosen as the raw material of this kind of tea with the same making procedures of oolong tea, and the tight and heavy dry leaves appearance is beautiful and tidy. Tea leaves are picked at the end of April and the beginning of May is spring tea, and picked between June and August is the summer tea, and picked at the beginning of October is autumn tea. The tight and sand green dry leaves appearance is rich of fresh and strong special taste with golden and bright tea liquor.

Dongding oolong tea

Dongding oolong tea is a kind of Baozhong tea in the shape of hemisphere. The tea bush was brought to Taiwan and planted there in 1885. The name comes from the planted place Dongding. The tight and dark green dry leaves appearance is in the shape of hemisphere. The tea liquor is crystal and in the color of honey, fresh and flowery fragrance with heavy taste and can be brewed for many times.

Pour the tea liquor into the fair cup from the tea pot, and then distribute the tea liquor into each sipping cup. It is a custom to pour 70% tea liquor into a tea cup and the left the 30% of tea cup for convenience.