oolong teas

Oolong tea, or Wu Long as it is sometimes written, is a kind of semi-fermented tea. People describe it as green leaves with red edges. Oolong tea has the delicate fragrance of green tea as well as the sweetness and mellowness of black tea. Oolong tea can endure repeated infusions; up to eight times, though the third or fourth infusions are considered the best. Top-grade Oolong tea will bring a marvellous and enduring after taste into your month.

 

Why Wulong, Wu Long and Oolong? Oolong is likely to have been originally brought in to wide spread usage by the earlier Western travellers to China who did not have a standardised system of writing Chinese. Phonetically the pronunciation Oo is probably the most accurate. The variation, Wu Long, arises from the translation from the Chinese system of characters in to our Western Romanised alphabet. The current system of Romanisation used on the mainland of China is called Pin Yin which has been used since 1958 and was internationally accepted in the early 1980's. Using Pin yin, then the correct translation is wu long or black dragon tea. To be precise, Wu means black as a raven.

 

Besides some supplementary tea wares, the main tools used to prepare Oolong tea are a kettle, teapot, teacup and pitcher. To make Oolong tea in a very traditional way, which is still practiced in Taiwan and parts of China, two more tools are needed: a cup for smelling the fragrance and a 'gongdao mug' (a fair for everybody mug). The fair for everybody mug earns its name as it ensures that every guest drinks Oolong tea with the same concentration, same aroma and same colour (color). We have also prepared a more detailed explanation of the 'An Xi' method on our 'Making Tea' pages.

 

The famous areas for Oolong production are in Fujian, Taiwan and Guang Dong. Among these An Xi and Wu Yi Shan (mountain) are the most well known and widely consumed.

 

Tie Guan Yin

One renowned Oolong tea from An Xi is called Tie-guan-yin. It has a wonderful natural fragrance and mellowness with a sweet after taste that lingers for a long time after drinking. It is lightly fermented to produce a pale, translucent green to yellow liquor and depending on the specific mountain and method of production, lush green leaves.

 

Da Hong Pao

The most famous of the Wu Yi mountain oolong teas is Da Hong Pao or Red (scarlet) Robe tea. In truth with the exception of a very (very) select few we will never sample genuine Da Hong Pao as most years only 100g is produced from the 6 mother plants. What is available is Xiao Hong Pao, though commonly sold as 'Da' Hong Pao. The difference is that this tea comes from clones or cuttings of the mother plants.

 

As with most of the Wu Yi mountain teas they are more oxidised than those of Tie Guan Yin hence the redder nature of the leaves. The liquor too, is also of a warm rich flavour. It is possible to buy aged Xiao Hong Pao which is annually re-dried to maintain the quality of the leaves and to ensure a constant moisture level. The aging process alters not only the outward appearance but also the flavour.

 

Bai Ji Guan

White chicken comb tea is easy to recognise from the appearance of the leaves during the infusion (Bai ji guan tea leaves). Unlike other Wu Yi mountain teas, both the fresh, dry and wet leaves are distinctly yellow. High quality Bai Ji Guan, a semi-oxidised tea i.e. Oolong, may be infused at least eight times, throughout which the colour remains the same.

 

Bai ji guan's name originates from the tea's appearence when it is still on the plant. The most expensive type of Bai Ji Guan is from Mu-Ben (Mother Root i.e. original plants).

 

Where next?

Discover more about tea and the fascinating tea culture of the world. Click on one of the following links to continue your journey:

Making tea - discover about the different styles of drinking and preparing tea.

Tea Facts - learn about the intriguing world of Indian tea and the growing regions within this beautiful country.

Tea Galleries - browse our galleries of beautiful places and photographic tea guides in our Chinese and Indian galleries.