Varieties of Oolong Tea

[edit] Wu(yi' cliff tea (???? Wu(yi' ya'n cha') from Fu'jia`n province

Wuyi Huang Guan Yin tea leaves

Wuyi Qi Lan Oolong tea leaves

The most famous and expensive Oolong teas are made here but the production is still usually accredited as organic. A lot of Shui( Xia-n is grown elsewhere in Fujian. Some of the better known cliff teas are:

Da` Ho'ng Pa'o (???)

Big Red Robe in Chinese, a highly prized tea and a Si Da Ming Cong (????, literally: The Four Great Bushes). This tea is also one of the two Oolongs that make it to the list of Chinese famous teas.

Shui( Ji-n Gui- (???)

Golden Water Turtle in Chinese, a Si Da Ming Cong.

Tie( Luo' Ha`n (???)

Iron Arhat in Chinese, a Si Da Ming Cong tea

Ba'i Ji- Gua-n (???)

White Cockscomb in Chinese, a Si Da Ming Cong tea. A light tea with light, yellowish leaves.

Ro`u Gui` (??)

Cinnamon in Chinese, a dark tea with a spicy aroma.

Shui( Xia-n (??)

Water Sprite in Chinese, a very dark tea, often grown elsewhere.

[edit] Fu'jia`n province

Tie( Gua-n Yi-n

Tie( Gua-n Yi-n or Ti Kuan Yin (???)

Iron Guanyin in Chinese, this is a tea from Anxi in South Fujian. It is very famous, in fact a 'Chinese famous tea' and very popular.

[edit] Guangdong province

Da-n Co-ng (??)

A family of stripe-style oolong teas from Guangdong Province. The doppelganger of teas, Dancong teas are noted for their ability to naturally imitate the flavors and fragrances of various flowers and fruits, such as orange blossom, orchid, grapefruit, almond, ginger flower, etc.

As the name implies, Dancong ("single bush") teas are clonal or single-bush productions.

[edit] Taiwan

Tea cultivation only began in Taiwan in the mid 19th century. Since then, many of the teas which are grown in Fujian province have also been grown in Taiwan[4]. Since the 1970s the tea industry in Taiwan has grown at a rapid rate, in line with the rest of Taiwan's economy. Due to high domestic demand and a strong tea culture, the majority of Taiwanese tea is bought and consumed by the Taiwanese.

As the weather in Taiwan is highly variable, quality of tea may differ from season to season. Although the island is not particularly large, it is geographically varied, with high, steep mountains rising quickly from low-lying coastal plains. The different weather patterns, temperatures, altitudes and soil ultimately result in differences in appearance, aroma and flavour of the tea grown in Taiwan. In some mountainous areas, teas have been cultivated at ever higher elevations to produce a unique sweet taste that fetches a premium price.[4]

Do`ng Di(ng (??)

The name means Frozen Summit or Ice Peak. Dong Ding is a mountain in Nantou County, Central Taiwan. This is a tightly rolled tea with a light, distinctive fragrance.

Dong Fang Mei Ren (?????)

The name means Oriental (Eastern) Beauty. Also known as Bai Hao Oolong. This tea is tippy (the leaves frequently have white or golden tips), with natural fruity aromas, a bright red appearance and a sweet taste.

Alishan (????)

Grown in the Alishan area of Chiayi County, this tea has large rolled leaves that have a purple-green appearance when dry. It is grown at an elevation of 1000 to 1400 metres. There is only a short period during the growing season when the sun is strong, which results in a sweeter and less astringent brew. It produces a golden yellow tea which has a unique fruity aroma.[7]

Lishan

Grown in the north-central region of Taiwan this tea is very similar in appearance to Alishan teas but is often considered to be one of the best teas from Taiwan. It is grown at an elevation of above 1000 metres with Dayuling, Lishan, and Fusou being the best well know regions and teas of Lishan.

Pouchong (???)

Also romanized as Baozhong, the lightest and most floral Oolong[citation needed], with unrolled leaves of a light green to brown color. Originally grown in Fujian it is now widely cultivated and produced in Pinglin Township near Taipei, Taiwan.

[edit] Other oolong teas

* Darjeeling Oolong: Darjeeling tea made according to Chinese methods.

* Vietnamese Oolong

* Thai Oolong

* African Oolong: made in Malawi and in Kenya

[edit] Brewing

A small tea pot brewing charcoal fire oolong

Generally, 2.25 grams of tea per 170 grams of water, or about two teaspoons of oolong tea per cup, should be used. Oolong teas should be prepared with 180?F to 190?F (82?C-87?C) water (not boiling) and steeped 3-4 minutes.[8] High quality oolong can be brewed multiple times from the same leaves, and unlike other teas it improves with reuse. It is common to brew the same leaves three to five times, the third or fourth steeping usually being the best.

An additional widely used method of brewing oolongs in Taiwan and China is called gongfucha. This method utilizes a small brewing vessel, such as a gaiwan or Yixing clay teapot, with a large amount of tea to water ratio. Multiple short steeps of 20 seconds to 1 minute are done and are often served in small tasting cups about the size of a thimble.