As a reminder: oolongs are partially oxidized tea leaves. Green tea has zero oxidation, while black teas are full oxidized.
One of the reasons why Baozhong oolong tea can be cooling is because you use less hot water for steeping it. The current batch of Baozhong can be steeped at 170-176F. Notably, green teas (which are steeped in water of similar temperature) are considered to be "cooling" in Chinese traditional medicine, and is prescribed for body types that run "hot."
The fragrant floral character of this oolong tea contained in a fairly delicate body also helps to beat back the heat.
Here are two ways in which you can enjoy Baozhong Wenshan oolong tea.
MAKE A CUP OF BAOZHONG WENSHAN
Measure 3 gm of tea
Put it into a 8 oz cup with a strainer
Pour hot water at 176F into the cup
Steep for 3 minutes
Remove the steeper
Enjoy the tea
Steep 5 minutes for a re-steep
PREPARE IN GONG FU STYLE
Rinse the tea ware with hot water
Measure around 8 gm of tea
Put it into a 150 ml gaiwan
Pour hot water at 176-180F
You may or may not choose to rinse the leaves
Steep the first round for a minute
2nd steep for 30 seconds
3rd steep for 40 seconds
4th steep for 50 seconds
5th steep for 1 minute
If you are a long time fan of Baozhong oolong tea or have just tried it for the first time please let us know your thoughts about this tea in the comments below.
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We are delighted to offer Concubine Oolong, a well regarded Taiwanese oolong from its two main manufacturing seasons, spring and winter.
]]>Concubine is a relatively new kind of oolong, developed only about 10 years ago. The innovation was led by tea farmers of Feng Huang village, part of the region that makes Dong Ding oolong. This highly oxidized and mid-roasted oolong is made from leaf that have been bitten upon by bugs know as Jacobiasca formosana Paoli.
The bites of these natural "pests," also called "jassid bugs," cause the plant to release certain chemicals that are believed to impart to the tea its unique flavor. The bites also begin the oxidation process in the leaf, right in the fields even before the plucking!
Notably, the plucking is entirely hand done to make sure that the bug bitten leaves are all picked to make the tea. This is something that machines, thankfully, yet cannot do.
We cannot talk about Concubine without mentioning the other famous tea of Taiwan - the Oriental Beauty. The latter, which is also called in Chinese, Bai Hao oolong, or Dongfang Meiren, is made similarly from tea leaves that have been bitten by the same jassid bug. Going by a popular legend, the Oriental Beauty was created "accidentally" in the late 19th Century when a farmer decided to go ahead and produce tea from bug bitten leaves rather than discard them as would have been the practice. The tea ended up having a unique flavor that was highly regarded, and the rest as they say is history.
The primary inspiration for the Feng Huang tea farmers was Oriental Beauty. Unlike the Concubine, the Oriental Beauty is an open leaf variety which looks similar to a Darjeeling second flush, and actually can often have similar taste profile - a fruity-floral complexity with smooth, light body. Also unlike a Concubine it is not roasted.
The dry leaf of the Concubine as you can see from the picture below are well rolled, just like many of the Taiwanese oolongs. It has a obviously roasted appearance. The roasting not only deepens the flavors of the tea but gives it a very good aging potential. Roasted oolongs can be aged, removing the worry of it "expiring" on your shelf. Concubine oolong is a markedly sweet oolong with raisins and honey tones. Like all balled oolongs, the Concubine can be resteeped multiple times, and the sweetness carries through them all. You might also find notes of plums and some "greeness", the latter almost reminiscent of fresh tea bushes. It is amazing to note that the roasting has managed to retain the fresh notes in the tea!
The other remarkable character of this tea is no matter how long you steep it, the tea does not get bitter.
Our Spring Concubine is from 2013 and the Winter Concubine is from 2014. Both of them have had enough time to "rest well." Roasted oolongs are best consumed after a period of "rest", when the roasted notes settle down and blend in well with the natural flavors of the tea.
Concubine Oolong got developed when tea farmers from Dong Ding area began to be overshadowed by the surge in popularity of the high mountain oolongs in the 1990s. Dong Ding region, which is located in central Taiwan, although a traditional bastion of tea, do not have mountains tall enough to qualify to make the high mountain oolongs. But they rose to the challenge with the innovation of Concubine, which indeed has made it clear that tea makers of Dong Ding region are no pushover when it comes to excellence.
Both our Concubines come from Feng Huang, the village that was responsible for giving the gift of a great tea to the world. We hope you will enjoy them as much as we do!
]]>A new category of oolong in our "A Tea Master's Oolong" series is called Hung Shui (also written Hong Shui). This category belongs to the fascinating - and for newcomers often times, bewildering - world of Taiwanese oolongs. (Read here about the background to A Tea Master's Oolong.)
Hung Shui is used to describe a certain style of making oolong. Unlike many classical teas, Hung Shui is not particular to a provenance. But in some ways Hung Shui's raison d'etre has to do with the protection of another famous Taiwanese oolong that is tied to its provenance, the Dong Ding oolong.
]]>Hung Shui is used to describe a certain style of making oolong. Unlike many classical teas, Hung Shui is not particular to a provenance. But in some ways Hung Shui's raison d'etre has to do with the protection of another famous Taiwanese oolong that is tied to its provenance, the Dong Ding oolong.
So before we can go into Hung Shui it will be helpful to know what a Dong Ding oolong is. Dong Ding oolong is an oolong that comes from the mountain of Dong Ding (also written Tung Ting), around 700 meters high, located in central Taiwan. The tea plants here are claimed to be transplants from the Wuyi mountains of China, home to some legendary oolongs including the Dan Hang Pao.
Dong Ding oolongs typically have mid-level oxidation and roasting. However, it is hard point out the exact percentage of either oxidation or roasting. Our tea master from Taiwan, tells us there are no precise standards. "The oxidation can be low to medium (but higher than that of high mountain oolong) and the roasting is medium to high (but not too high otherwise the freshness of the leaves will be destroyed)."
Dong Ding oolongs became very popular in the 1980s. The result was that tea farmers from the neighboring regions began to copy the style of making Dong Ding.(Reminds me of a time when "Darjeeling type" teas were being manufactured outside of India). For the purists it was an issue when oolongs manufactured outside the Dong Ding mountain began to pass off as Dong Ding oolongs. As a product, "provenance" is of importance for tea (Darjeeling eventually had to secure protection under Geographical Indicator mark).
Surprisingly, Taiwan tea institutions seem to have a hand in causing the dilution of Dong Ding provenance. Twice every year the much anticipated Dong Ding tea competition takes place. It is the world's largest such competition where nearly 6000 "Dong Ding oolongs" are entered to be judged and ranked. Entries are made from outside of Dong Ding mountain as well. After approximately 1/3 is rejected from the competition, the rest can be sold in the market as Dong Ding regardless of where it comes from.
It was under these circumstances that the term Hung Shui was devised. All oolongs that are not from the Dong Ding mountain, but are made in Dong Ding style and who win a place at the competition, are now referred to as Hung Shui. So while all Dong Dings are Hung Shui technically, in terms of the manufacturing process, not all Hung Shui are Dong Dings. I hope this is not confusing.
Our Hung Shui comes from Yiguang Shan. Selected by our local tea master, it is well roasted and has been aged well. Like all good Hung Shui, it has both fruity and floral characters. Some describe Hung Shui as a “marriage between the styles of Anxi Tei Guan Yin (light oxidation with roasting from light to heavy) and Wuyi Yen Cha (high oxidation, roasting varying from light to heavy).” Tei Guan Yin and Wuyi Yen Cha are famous oolongs from Fujian Province, China.
Hung Shui calls for tremendous skills on the part of the tea maker. Please note that Hung Shui from other places besides Dong Ding mountain are not in anyway inferior to the traditional Dong Ding. In fact it is not uncommon for a high mountain Hung Shui not from Dong Ding to win the first prize at the Dong Ding oolong competition!
]]>Oolong comes from the Chinese word “wulong,” meaning literally, black dragon. This is because the leaves of some oolongs appear like dragons in flight. Dragons are a symbol of “nobility and strength” and these characters are implied in the nature this tea.
]]>Oolong comes from the Chinese word “wulong,” meaning literally, black dragon. This is because the leaves of some oolongs appear like dragons in flight. Dragons are a symbol of “nobility and strength” and these characters are implied in the nature this tea.
Among all the varieties of tea oolong perhaps is the most diverse and complex. From very lightly oxidized ones bearing soft floral fragrances to heavily oxidized and roasted kinds that have strong complex flavors, oolong encompasses within it elements of almost every other kind of tea. For most tea enthusiasts the pursuit of oolong can be a very rewarding journey indeed.
The best oolongs come from the Chinese provinces of Fujian and Guangdong,and Taiwan.
Manufacturing oolong
Oolong is one of the most difficult teas to manufacture. It takes years for a tea maker to master the skills required. Although the manufacturing stages is similar to that of black tea, the oxidation process is much more involved and there is an additional rolling and baking stages for most oolongs. Oolongs are also partially oxidized, a distinguishing character - black tea is 100% oxidized and green tea is unoxidized. They can be oxidized anywhere from 12%-80%.
After the tea is plucked, the green leaves are left in the sun for a while to wilt. They are then removed for further air-drying indoors. The entire withering process takes about 5-6 hours. Once the leaves are soft and pliable they are either rolled or shaken on bamboo trays, bruising the leaves in the process. This begins the oxidation process.
The extent of oxidation depends on the condition of the leaves and what the tea maker is aiming for. While in the making of black tea the oxidation is a one step process, in oolong manufacturing the shaking (also described as rattling) of leaves continue through this stage. Oxidation is usually done overnight. Once the tea maker is satisfied with the aroma and appearance of the oxidizing leaves it is moved for firing.
Firing is the application of heat to arrest the oxidation process. It is done either on large hot woks manually (in which case it is described as pan-frying) or in machines at temperatures around 392 F. The leaves are rolled even as it is dried. Firing is a quick step but it still has to be precise depending upon the type of oolong being manufactured.
For semi-balled rolled type oolong the tea is further bundled in cloth bags and then rolled. This not only results in individual leaf sets being rolled up into small nuggets, it also causes the flavors to be packed into the leaves which will be released gradually over multiple steepings.
After this step the “crude tea” called mao cha is cleaned manually off twigs and other “impurities.” The rolled tea is then given one more firing after this process. While some teas are taken to the market after clean up and firing, others undergo one the final step which is unique to the world of oolong.
Baking is another very involved process where the tea maker has to bake the tea in stages to get the perfect finish. He must ensure that the baking does not destroy the finer flavors of the tea. There needs to a fine balance between the roasted notes and the other natural flavors of the tea. By baking the tea, oolong unlike most tea, can take aging. The taste of the tea improves with time and also can be brewed many more times than the unroasted variety.
Click here to visit our collection of oolongs.
Meet some of the famous oolongs from China and Taiwan. These are oolongs that every serious tea enthusiast must aspire to have one day in his/her cup. We hope one day soon we will be able to offer all these precious jewels to our customers!
]]>Wu Yi Oolong Tea
Oolongs from Wu Yi mountains in Fujian are some of the most revered ones. These oolongs are made from tea trees/bushes that grow from the craggy outcrops of Wu Yi. Da Hong Pao (the red robe) is the jewel in the crown of Wu Yi and seldom make it out of China. It is made only in small amounts, is very expensive and reserved for the “teaocracy” of the country.
Although a lot of oolongs claim to be Wu Yi, they are mostly made from tea plantations in the adjoining areas. These tea plants have been raised from the seeds of the original Wu Yi.
Wu yi oolongs are around 80% oxidized and the manufacturing starts around May. These are baked oolongs.
Feng Huang Dan Cong (Phoenix Oolong Tea)
This oolong comes from the mountains of north east Guangdong province of China. The oolongs from here can rival wu yi rock oolongs. They are made from individual arbor tea trees or specific cultivars. Dan Cong means “single bush”. They are also highly oxidized (around 80%) and heavily baked. They are similar in appearance like wu yi oolongs.
A lot of commercial grade Dan Cong, like wu yi, is made from plantations at lower elevations. These plantations have been raised from seeds of the original tea trees.
The cultivars of Dan Cong are distinguished by their “fragrances” which are carried over in the flavors of the tea. The oolongs from the old bushes of the mountains are said to have a surprisingly fruity and sweet character. These teas, like wu yi oolongs, are also formidably expensive.
The best Dan Cong is plucked during spring.
Tieguanyin
The traditional growing area for Tieguanyin or Iron Goddess of Mercy is Minnan in Anxi, an area in southern Fujian. Also called TGY in passing, this oolong is one of the most popular oolongs. They are in semi-rolled balled shape and are oxidized around 25%-40%. They can come with different levels of roasting. Although the dark roasted is more the tradition, “modern” TGYs are only lightly roasted.
Taste-wise Tieguanyin has a rich floral (orchid, plum blossoms) and sweet character. The heavily roasted ones have a notes of smoke and nuts.
Tieguanyin is made during different seasons, but the best one is considered to be the one made during spring. This oolong is also sometimes referred to as “monkey-picked tea” because some of the tea plants in the region grew in difficult places in the hills and legend has it that the villagers used monkeys to pluck the leaves from those plants.
Bai Hao/Dong Fang Mei Ren (Oriental Beauty)
Perhaps one of the most well known oolongs, Bai Hao comes Hsinchu County. It is an open leaf style of oolong, and can look like some of the second flush Darjeelings with light roll. The tea is aromatic and easy to prepare and drink with clean notes of peaches and apricots.
The origin of Bai Hao is interesting. One year after a sudden infestation of tea bushes by a particular kind of bugs that affected the leaves, farmers gave up on the harvest. However, there was one who decided to go ahead and make tea with the infested leaves. Turns out the tea had never tasted as good!
Even today the “tea green leaf hopper” is encouraged to exist in tea bushes. Oriental Beauty is highly oxidized (around 70%), unroasted and produced during summer.
Baozhong
This is also an open leaf style oolong tea from Taiwan, which is only very lightly oxidized (around 12-18%). It is a specialty tea from Pinglin and Wenshan areas.
Baozhong normally are unroasted, but it may be possible to come across lightly roasted ones.
The liquor is soft and sweet with fresh aroma and a wonderful aftertaste.
Dong Ding
This oolong tea comes from Lugu Township of Nantou County in Taiwan. They are 40-50% oxidized and charcoal-roasted.
The best Dong Ding comes from the highest elevations of Tung Ting Mountain. It is also called “frozen-peak tea.”
High Mountain Gao Shan oolongs
These oolong teas come from the higher reaches of Ali Shan, Li Shan and Shan Lin Xi mountains. They are semi-balled rolled type with varying levels of oxidation. They can be roasted and unroasted. These oolongs have intensely pure and refreshing aromas, mainly composed of floral accents.
These oolongs are some of best that Taiwan offers, and people can spend a lifetime pursuing just them.
To read our first part - Manufacturing oolong - click here.
To visit our selection of oolongs - click here.
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