Tea enthusiasts will know about loose leaf oolong tea.
This tea is renowned for its delicious aroma and flavor, as well as its various health benefits such as reducing blood lipids, cholesterol, aiding digestion, and weight loss. Loose leaf oolong teas are excellent choice for gifting to family and friends as healthy and delicious tea gift sets.
To fully enjoy the delicious taste of loose leaf oolong tea, having good quality tea is not enough. The brewing method of loose leaf oolong tea largely determines the deliciousness of the tea soup. Below are some key points shared to help novice tea drinkers understand how to better enjoy oolong tea.
Five Tips for Beginners Drinking Oolong Tea
- Use Small Cups
Loose leaf oolong tea originated from Fujian, where the locals have a strong preference for it.
Local residents believe that tasting loose leaf oolong tea is not just about quenching thirst; they see it as an artistic expression that integrates mind and soul. They enjoy savoring loose leaf oolong tea slowly using small cups.
- Employ Traditional Brewing Methods
Fujian residents still adhere to traditional methods when brewing loose leaf oolong tea.
Before steeping the tea, they rinse the teapot, tea tray, and teacups with freshly boiled water. During the brewing process, they continuously sip while steeping to maintain cleanliness and ensure the tea remains at an optimal temperature.
- Time it Right
To savor the delicious taste of loose leaf oolong tea, it's essential to control the brewing time. Generally, steeping for just a dozen seconds is sufficient, although subsequent infusions may require slightly longer steeping times.
Brewing for too long will result in the loss of the fresh flavor of loose leaf oolong tea.
- Learn to Smell the Tea
When tasting oolong tea loose leaf, it's important to learn to smell it. Start by slowly moving the tea cup from the front of your nose towards your mouth. While it's still hot, smell its aroma. You'll feel the fragrance gradually entering your mouth, throat, and lungs.
Remember not to place the tea cup too close to your nose while smelling; instead, slowly move it from far to near, and then from near to far, repeating this process three or four times.
There are many different aromas of loose leaf oolong tea. It's recommended to discover the best oolong tea for yourself by trying a tea sampler.
- Savor Slowly
After smelling the aroma, you can now taste it. Take a sip and hold it in your mouth before slowly swallowing.
Savor it slowly; you'll feel a sweet and refreshing taste filling your mouth, leaving a lingering aroma. It can also help to refresh your senses and bring a sense of tranquility, like stepping into a fairyland.
Find more loose leaf oolong tea with our Oolong Tea Sampler.>>>
Brewing Method for Oolong Tea
- Begin by rinsing the tea utensils with boiling water.
- When brewing the tea, slowly pour hot water into the teapot from a higher position. The water temperature should ideally be between 95-100 degrees Celsius.
- Cover the teapot with its lid and pour boiling water over it. This helps to maintain the aroma by keeping the tea at a high temperature. Let it steep for about a dozen seconds during this process.
- Pour the tea from the teapot into a fairness cup, then distribute it into smaller tasting cups.
- Oolong tea should be tasted while hot, with moderate consumption. As you drink, continue to savor the aroma.
Understanding the Classification of Oolong Tea
Loose leaf oolong tea is classified by region into: Northern Fujian Oolong, Southern Fujian Oolong, Guangdong Oolong, and Taiwanese Oolong.
Northern Fujian Oolong is best represented by the "Rock Tea" produced in Wuyi Mountain. Apart from Da Hong Pao, there are also multiple varieties such as Rou Gui, Shui Xian, Tie Luo Han, and Shui Jin Gui.
The famous TieGuanyin belongs to Southern Fujian Oolong. Additionally, Southern Fujian Oolong includes other varieties like Baiya Qilan, Yongchun Foshou, and Zhangping Shuixian, which are relatively affordable.
Guangdong Oolong is represented by Fenghuang Dancong, produced in Fenghuang Town, Chaozhou, Guangdong, with the best coming from Wudong Mountain.
Taiwanese Oolong has a graceful aroma and a honey-green soup color, making it very popular among women and young tea drinkers. Famous varieties include Oriental Beauty and Dong Ding Oolong.
Craftsmanship of Oolong Tea
The production process of oolong loose leaf tea is highly intricate, involving Weidiao(withering), Zuoqing (shaking and resting), Shaqing (killing the green), Rounian (rolling), and drying.
Northern Fujian Oolong and Guangdong's Fenghuang Dancong undergo heavy sun withering and shaking, resulting in a high degree of oxidation and a strip-like appearance.
On the other hand, Southern Fujian Oolong and Taiwanese Oolong emphasize rolling, resulting in a lower level of oxidation and a more spherical shape.
The Greatest Characteristic of Oolong Tea—Its Aroma
The most prominent characteristic of loose oolong tea is its aroma. Some oolong teas, such as Fenghuang Dancong, are renowned for their high fragrance and are considered among the best loose leaf tea.
So how is the aroma of loose leaf oolong tea formed? It mainly stems from the core production process of oolong tea, which is Zuoqing (shaking and resting). This process is unique to oolong tea and is not found in other types of loose leaf tea. Zuoqing (shaking and resting) involves a series of alternating shaking and resting processes, during which polyphenolic substances oxidize and reduce, continuously forming aromatic compounds.
In simple terms, water runs off the surface of the fresh leaves, while a series of actions encourage the flow of water from the stem to the leaf, maintaining the efficient functioning of enzymes within the cells.
Loose leaf oolong tea is a type of tea with a unique taste and a delightful aroma. If you haven't tried loose leaf oolong tea yet, it's worth giving it a try—I believe you'll fall in love with it too!
