Oolong tea is a very well known tea type for its floral flavor and elegant aromatic. The Oolong tea (Wūlóng “乌龙” ) which mean black dragon has also known as Qing Cha (青茶) for the local people, Qing(青) means Cyan or kind of blue green color. Oolong type is standing somewhere between green tea and black tea, and it is a semi-fermented tea.

The process of making Oolong is quite complex and more time consuming than other types of tea. It starts with picking tealeaf in late April and early May, then dry/withering the tealeaves (in order to remove moisture), bruised or shaking the leaves for floral, killing green, rolling/shaping, drying and finally roasting. Some areas can harvest only one time per year (spring), but some can harvest for more than one time per year.

Even though Oolong tea are mostly processing the same way, some of them may take roasting process and some may not. Some of Oolong has a heavy roasted process and some take light roasted process. These may depend on the traditional of the local farmers from different areas of Oolong production. These Oolong productions have come from 4 traditional areas: Northern Fujian (MinBei “闽北”), Southern Fujian (MinNan “闽南”), Eastern Guangdong Province(ChaoZhou “潮州”) and Taiwan(台湾).

Today, I would like to share Oolong production from two areas: Northern Fujian (MinBei “闽北”), Southern Fujian (MinNan “闽南”), and I will keep the other two for the upcoming post.     

MinBei Oolong

WuYi(武夷山) Mountain is the main source of Northern Fujian or MinBei(闽北) Oolong’s productions and Black Tea As well(红茶). The Oolong from WuYi is also known as Rock Tea or Yan Cha (岩茶) because of the unique rock rhythm from this specific Oolong tea. Rock Tea harvesting divide into 2 areas the True Rock areas or ZhengYan(正岩) and half rock teaBanYan(半岩). Rock Tea can only be harvested one per year since the process of making is quite long (can be up to 6 months or more). There are many type of rock tea such as DaHongPao or Big Red Robe(大红袍), WuYi RouGui or Cinnamon flavor (武夷肉桂), WuYi ShuiXian (武夷水仙), BaiJiGuan or White Cockscomb (白鸡冠), BanTianYao (半天妖), TieLuoHan (铁罗汉), ShuiJinGui(水金龟), etc. These rock tea plantations are located in different areas in WuYi Mount and some of the plantations have been protected strictly.  

What is Special about WuYi Rock Tea?: Each types of WuYi Rock tea are unique and special by its own flavor and aroma. However, Rock Teas are generally unique by its “Rock Rhythm”. It provides the mineral flavor, highly and thick aroma. The after taste of Rock Tea is sweet and you may feel the mineral and floral is keeping inside your mouth after you drink the Rock Tea. The leaves of Rock Tea look black and kind of Burned, it is because of heavy roasted process. The tea soup is normally clear with orange kind of red.  

Value: The price of Rock Tea is quite high since the process of Rock tea may take very long and the production of Rock Tea are only one per year. Also, the demand is relatively high and the quantity of some Rock Tea is low.

How To Steep: Use about 8g of Rock tea, 100 ml to160ml of preference Pots (Gaiwan Or Clay pot), suggestion water: Mineral Water (or you can choose Spring water instead). It normally can steep up to 8 times. 

MinNan Oolong

Anxi County is a famous area for producing Oolong tea that located in Northern Fujian Province. The best-known Oolong from Northern Fujian is TieGuanYin or Iron Goddess Oolong Tea. MinNan Oolong has an “Elegant Orchid Flavor”. The leaves normally roll into small ball shape (not very round) and packaging by absorbing all the air from the packages in order to make sure that tealeaves are dry and will not affected. 

Tie Guan Yin and most Oolong from Northern Fujian devide into 3 types: QingXiang or Delicate Fragrances (清香), NongXiang or Thick/Concentrate Fragrance (浓香), and ChenXiang or Aged/Deep Fragrance (陈香). The QingXiang are more close to green tea since it has not roasted, less oxidized and it can provide more fresh and less complex in flavor as it show a clear orchid flavor. The ChenXiang is an aged tea type that may take roasting and aging for at least several years before put into market, it is more fruity and floral flavor, and also provided the feeling of aged tea. The NongXiang is kind of traditional type processing, it is more complex in flavor of floral and fruity. NongXiang is quite close to ChenXiang, but it is not aged, as it does not need to be aged through years.     

The harvesting of MinNan Oolong is more than one time per year. The demand of the spring and autumn are higher since the tea soup of spring production is clear green like jade and light aromatic with orchid flavor. The autumn production is more about aromatic, as it is thicker and stronger flavor and the tea soup color is greener than the spring. 

Value: The value of the TieGuanYin and most MinNan Oolong depend on the areas that the leaves are harvested. Generally, the higher areas are more expensive than the lower areas

How to Steep: Use about 6g to 8g of tea leaves, I recommend pots of 130ml or 150ml or 200ml. Spring Water is to be considered for steeping this tea. It can steep up to 10 times.   

Beside from TieGuanYin, There are also other types of MinNan Oolong such as BaiYaQiLa你（白芽奇兰） ZhangPing ShuiXian (漳平水仙), etc. These two flavor is fresh and give the orchid aroma.

This is one part of Oolong information that I would like to share today, there will be “Part II”for the other two more source of oolong tea.I hope you enjoy the reading and stay tune for More 🙂

Don’t Forget to enjoy more Tea and Stay Safe.

Shawn 🙂