Oolong Tea for the Beginners- Brewing Tips and Types
A tea that has the most layered tastes known to the tea-community, yet consists of only about 2% of the entire tea production of the world! Be it the addictive malty taste, the eye-catching shape or the distinguished oxidation process, this one is an artisanal beauty in every way. Yes, it is the Oolong Tea. It is the only tea that goes through the broadest range of fermentation that can range anywhere from 10 to 80 percent across its many varieties.
Oolong teas vary in color from light gold to deep brown and orange depending on the level of oxidation. Flavors can also vary greatly, but oolong tea is most often described as fruity, nutty and vegetal with floral aromas.
How to brew your Oolong
We would recommend brewing loose leaf teas rather than using tea bags. This results in higher-quality tea leaves, a more rewarding experience, and a more authentic taste.
• Choose your teaware: Oolong teas are traditionally made with a small teapot, a larger amount of tea leaves, and multiple short infusions.
• Warm: Warm up your teaware by pouring hot water into the pot and cups before you begin. Because oolong teas should never be brewed with boiling water, this will help keep your tea hot. If you’re using a rolled oolong, it’s also a good idea to rinse the leaves by pouring enough hot water to cover the leaves and then immediately pouring it out. This will aid in the growth of the leaves.
• Temperature: The temperature of the water will vary depending on the type of oolong you want to drink, with less oxidized green oolongs requiring 80–85 °C water and more oxidized dark oolongs requiring slightly higher temperatures of 90–95 °C. For the Western-style, use approximately 3 grams of tea per 200ml of water and brew for approximately 3 minutes. After that, you can re-brew the leaves 3–4 times, slightly increasing the brewing time with each infusion.
• Flavour: You can add honey, sugar, milk, or lemon juice to enhance the range of flavours in this enticing tea, but most oolongs are best enjoyed plain to fully appreciate the range of flavours it contains.
Types of Oolong tea
All oolongs are broadly categorized in one of two distinct styles — small, wrap-curled oolongs (such as Tieguanyin oolong tea) and long, strip-style curly oolongs (such as China’s famous Da Hong Pao Oolong tea). The latter is the more traditional and more commonly produced style of oolong tea.
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