Oolong Teas For People Who Like A Little Complexity

Oolong (Wulong)teas, means Black Dragon and the teas account for about 14 percent of China's tea output. prestigious in China Oolongs are semi-fermented, the leaf is partially oxidised and therefore lies between green tea which is not oxidised and black tea which is fully oxidised. Oolong is the most complicated tea to manufacture: depending upon the variation of tea there can be as few as 3 steps in the process but there can be as many as 18 and each has to be closely controlled. Oolong teas are created from large leaves and may be picked as a set of the top three leaves. They are picked after the green leaf, around the middle of the day.

Would you like Formosa or China oolong?

Oolong teas have a much more complicated flavour than green or black teas and this goes some way to explaining their increase in popularity. A number of sought after oolongs are from Taiwan, Formosa as it used to be known, however Fujian Province in mainland China does also produces high quality famous oolong teas. It was from this thickly vegetated area of mountainous limestone, the Wuyi Shan in the north-west of the province that the tea bushes of the genus Camellia sinensis originated. The ground is enveloped in thick cloud which makes the whole character of this tea producing entirely unique. This small area of less than forty square miles forms one of the 'routes of tea enlightenment' for those exploring the way of Chinese tea and it has nourished the thirst and minds of writers, artists, monks and hermits for centuries. Teas from this area are known as Ming Yan teas and those from outside it are known as Dan Yan teas. Northern Fujian, Min-Bei, grows big open style oolongs and south, Min-Nan, produces rolled types like Ti Kuan Yin.

How Oolong is made

The making of oolong teas firstly involves withering of the picked leaf in direct sunlight followed by shaking or rolling of the leaf over a period of between six and eight hours to bruise the leaf edges. The leaves are then more vigorously tumbled in a bamboo drum 3 times for about 20 minutes each time over a period of about 6 hours. It is this bruising that allows the juices to come out of the leaf which gradually turn a reddish colour. Formosa Oolongs are fermented 60-70%, closer to black teas, whereas China oolongs are generally fermented only 12-20% and are therefore closer to green teas. They are also greener in appearance. The tumbled leaf is then fired on wire racks in, traditionally, charcoal ovens at about 40 degrees centigrade for around two hours. A final firing four six hours finishes the tea. The appearance of the leaf will be either open, crimped or ball rolled, the colour varying from greenish-grey to brownish-black.

How to make your pot of Oolong tea

Oolongs should be made with fresh boiling water as used for black tea. The tea should be infused for between five and seven minutes. Oolongs can be brewed over and over again but the period of infusion will have to be increased gradually. This method is known as gongfu and requires a small earthen wear Yixing teapot which is filled completely with leaf and then infused six to eight times. The oolongs from southern Fujian province, being rolled can be infused for a greater number of times and in fact need several infusions for the leaf to fully unfurl and release the full complexity of flavour. The liquor should appear greenish orange for China oolongs and golden brown for the more oxidised Formosa oolongs. For the more fully oxidised oolongs the taste will tend to be richer and mellow with flavour of honey, leather and sandalwood. The less oxidised, greener oolongs will be fresher, of peaches and apricots as well as being more flowery. The finish is generally long and sweet and the aroma is aromatic and floral. Oolongs are especially suitable for drinking with savoury foods such as fish, poultry and spicy foods. They are best consumed without milk.

Goddess of Mercy Oolong

Ti Kuan Yin, from southern Fujian Province is legendary amongst lovers of oolong teas. Goddess of Mercy was chosen in the 17th-18th century by the Qing Dynasty emperor, Qianlong, as one of his tribute teas. It is highly regarded for the fragrance of the picked leaf, its lasting flavour on repeat infusions and the aroma of the finished tea. Ti Kuan Yin is selected from distinctive varieties of bush from twenty seven villages surrounding Anxi, which is synonymous with the tea. There are three types of this revered tea: clear and fragrant - with a herbaceous style due to being fired at a lower temperature; traditional - which is sweet without astringency and wild - which produces a fruity, leathery flavour with a heady aroma. A good Ti Kuan Yin should show infused leaves that have a lovely reddish brown colour and brighter, crimson edges gained through bruising of the leaf in manufacture. From Formosa, silver-tip oolong has a beautiful heady aroma and taste of stone fruit. The liquor in the cup is clear and golden. The large open style of leaf enables it to be infused several times.

Other Oolongs

Oolongs from Sri Lanka and Darjeeling? The varieties of tea bush, terrain, climate and skills of the workforce do not lend themselves towards the production of oolongs with the subtlety and complexity of those from China and Taiwan. Oolongs can be purchased flavoured and orange blossom oolong is a very popular traditional variety. Do explore the huge variety of these beautiful and complex teas. They demonstrate to perfection the real talent of the tea maker in being able to create a number of styles each with a popular following of their own. To think too of the stunning and far away landscapes in which they are produced only adds to the intriguing of these fabulous, little known teas.


------

Anna Greening writes for Grey's Tea's who are a speciality tea retailer based in the United Kingdom. Browse and select from an extensive range of Oolong tea and Green tea