Key Points to Make Oolong Tea Taste Better!
- Good tea, good water, and good tea ware are needed.
"Water is the mother of tea, and the vessel is the father of tea." In addition to good Chinese tea, good water and tea ware are equally essential. Only in this way can the charm of loose leaf Oolong tea be fully expressed.
It is best to use purified water or mineral water, and if not available, filtered tap water is acceptable.
For tea ware, "Yixing pottery" (pottery from Yixing and porcelain from Jingdezhen) is preferred.
- Pay attention to the shape of the teapot and the amount of tea leaves.
Select the shape of the teapot and the capacity of the teapot according to the number of people drinking tea to determine the amount of loose leaf Oolong tea to be used. There are many types of loose leaf Oolong tea, so it is recommended to discover the best loose leaf tea for oneself through a loose leaf tea sampler.
If the loose leaf Oolong tea is relatively loose, such as Fenghuang Dancong, then the amount of tea should fill about half of the teapot.
If the tea leaves are tightly rolled into semi-ball shapes, then the amount should fill about one-third to one-fourth of the teapot's capacity.
- Water Temperature Requirements
Due to the presence of certain special aromatic substances in loose leaf Oolong tea, they need high temperatures to fully develop. Therefore, it is necessary to use hot water (95-100 degrees Celsius) for brewing.
However, not all loose leaf teas with obvious aromas require high-temperature brewing. Some loose leaf flower teas, such as Chinese jasmine tea, are more suitable for brewing with slightly milder water temperatures.
- Brewing Time
Loose leaf Oolong tea should not be steeped for too long; generally, steeping for about ten seconds is sufficient. After brewing three to four times, the steeping time can be extended slightly.
- Number of Brews
For most loose leaf tea, the majority of the substances within the tea leaves are extracted by the first brewing. By the third brew, most of the substances are generally completely extracted, so the tea leaves are usually changed after three brews.
However, for loose leaf Oolong tea, especially for teas with high durability such as TieGuanyin, they can be brewed for 4-5 times. High-quality varieties can be brewed for more than six times. Therefore, there is a saying that loose leaf Oolong tea has "more than seven brews with lingering fragrance."
Find more loose leaf oolong tea with our Oolong Tea Sampler.>>>
What Should You Pay Attention to When Drinking Oolong Tea?
Avoid drinking loose leaf Oolong tea on an empty stomach:
Because loose leaf Oolong tea contains a certain amount of caffeine and theine, drinking it on an empty stomach can stimulate the digestive tract strongly, leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.
It is not advisable to drink cold Oolong tea:
Warm Oolong tea can make you feel refreshed and revitalized. Cold Oolong tea can cause side effects such as cold dampness and increased phlegm.
Avoid steeping loose leaf Oolong tea for too long:
The steeping time of loose leaf Oolong tea is crucial. If steeped for too long, the tea polyphenols, lipids, aromatic components, etc., in the tea leaves will oxidize automatically, diminishing their enjoyment value. The oxidation-reduction of vitamin C, vitamin P, and amino acids in the tea leaves greatly reduces the nutritional value of the tea soup.
What are the health benefits of Oolong tea?
Loose leaf Oolong tea not only tastes delicious but also offers many excellent health benefits. Therefore, loose leaf Oolong teas can be very healthy tea gift sets to give to family and friends.
- Mental alertness and refreshing effects
The caffeine in loose leaf Oolong tea can stimulate the central nervous system, enhance the excitement process of the cerebral cortex, and have the effect of refreshing the mind and clearing the heart.
- Diuretic and fatigue-relieving effects
The caffeine in loose leaf Oolong tea can stimulate the kidneys, promote the rapid excretion of urine, increase the filtration rate of the kidneys, and reduce the retention time of harmful substances in the kidneys. Caffeine can also eliminate excess lactic acid in urine, helping the body to eliminate fatigue as quickly as possible.
- Slowing Down Aging
Loose leaf Oolong tea contains a high level of tea polyphenols. Tea polyphenols possess strong antioxidant and physiological activities, serving as scavengers for free radicals in the human body. Studies conducted by relevant authorities have shown that the efficacy of 1 milligram of tea polyphenols in eliminating excess free radicals harmful to the human body is equivalent to 9 micrograms of superoxide dismutase (SOD), significantly higher than other similar substances. Therefore, Oolong tea has a good antioxidative effect and can help delay aging.
- Inhibiting Cardiovascular Diseases
The tea polyphenols in loose leaf Oolong tea play an important role in human fat metabolism. High levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the body lead to fat deposition in the blood vessel walls, proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, leading to cardiovascular diseases.
Tea polyphenols, especially catechins such as ECG and EGC, and their oxidation product, theaflavins, help inhibit the formation of these proliferative plaques, reduce the elevation of fibrinogen, which enhances blood coagulability, and promote antithrombotic effects, thereby inhibiting atherosclerosis.
Loose leaf Oolong tea is not only healthy but also delicious. Tasting Oolong tea requires a quiet mind, savoring each sip slowly. This way of drinking can better appreciate the unique characteristics brought by the different flavors and aromas of Oolong tea.
Through careful tasting, one can discern the liveliness, sweetness, charm, and aroma in each brew of Oolong tea, which is also a great pleasure.
