Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is generally made of mature tea leaves, the exception being White Tip Oolong in Taiwan, which uses tender buds. The production of Oolong tea involves fermentation, heavy rolling (lightly-rolled Rock Tea is an exception) and roasting processes and is somewhere between non-fermented green tea and fully fermented black tea in terms of fermentation.

Predominantly made of mature leaves, Oolong tea's fermentation level is determined by tea tree variety, the required properties of the finished products and historical influence. In this way, some varieties of Oolong tea have varied in fermentation levels in different historical periods, such as Iron Mercy Goddess. Some varieties observe a uniform fermentation level due to their distinctive features, such as Wuyi Rock Tea and White Tip Oolong. Generally speaking, the more heavily, fermented the tea is, the redder it looks, and the more challenging it is to identify the original flavor of the tea leaves.

Certain varieties of Oolong tea require a roasting process to produce. Varieties such as the Rock Tea must be roasted, while for others the roasting process is optional, such as fully roasted Oolong made from Iron Mercy Goddess of Taiwanese Oolong. It is commonly assumed that fully roasted Oolong can help to warm the stomach, however, this assumption is mistaken. When talking about green tea, we have mentioned that tea has a cooling property. For this reason, no matter how it is processed, the cooling properties can be curbed, but not erased. After fermentation, Oolong is less cool than green tea, while the roasting process further reduces its coolness. Therefore, we commonly refer to the unroasted category as raw tea and the roasted category as ripened tea.

Both the roasting and fermentation processes affect the color of the tea liquor. As mentioned above, fermentation will redden the tea liquor, while roasting reduces the lightness of the liquor.

Generally speaking, the water used for Oolong tea should exceed 90 degrees centigrade. However, we should also consider the unique property of this tea variety and its tenderness. The more heavily fermented the tea is, the hotter the water has to be. As to brewing vessels, Yixing clay teaware is a popular choice.

Yixing clay teaware is inferior to common porcelains in terms of density and heat dissipation. Theoretically speaking, more heavily fermented tea should be brewed in vessels with a higher density, lower heat dissipation, and thicker shell. For this reason, thin-shelled lidded cups are commonly chosen for green tea and red porcelain pots for Oolong tea. However, this rule does not apply to all varieties. For instance, lightly- fermented Oolong tea should be brewed in porcelains to highlight its liquor. The same variety of Oolong will be thick in flavor if brewed in red porcelain and less aromatic in fragrance. Therefore, no rule is universal concerning the choice of tea brewing vessels. In addition to the unique properties of the tea, the preference of the tea brewer is also a determining factor.

The tea leaves used to make Oolong tea can be harvested in spring and winter. If harvested in autumn, the tea quality will be compromised, with its flavor and fragrance diminished. In general, summer is also not a good time to produce tea, with White Tip Oolong the obvious exception.

WUYI ROCK TEA 武夷岩茶

Rock Tea grows in the Wuyi Mountains in southeast Fujian Province. Each tea bush takes root on the rugged cliffs and every tea leaf possesses an innate “craggy charm” or aroma, hence the name.

Wuyi Mountains is a magical place. Confucius said that the benevolent delight in mountains while the wise love water; this region is blessed with a profusion of both. It is also the cradle of the great Ming Philosopher Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucian philosophy. But perhaps most amazingly, there is also the primordial source of virtually every variety of green and black tea. Its heavily weathered soil has given Wuyi Rock Tea its fine reputation. And the so-called “craggy charm” of Rock Tea is seemingly the “gustatory” expression of the vertical cliffs and deep gorges that scar the region.

Traditional Wuyi Rock Tea all came from large clusters of bushes that reproduced sexually — unlike those asexual cuttings that have been transplanted by hand all across the mountains nowadays. The flavor of each strain of processed Rock Tea is distinctive, so it is no exaggeration to say that there are upwards of one thousand varieties.

Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao) has long been the topic of heated debate, and there is no other tea whose purported origins have so often been discredited. Textual research on the whereabouts of the ancestral “mother tree” for Big Red Robe has never ceased, but to date, no convincing conclusions have been reached.

All along, however, a considerable number of people have believed that the primordial ancestors of this Rock Tea are four ancient tea trees, still extant, located on Tianxin Cliff where the words “Big Red Robe” have been inscribed in stone.

Today, even though most of the Rock Tea available on the market proudly carries the “Big Red Robe” sobriquet, the genuine item has become virtually extinct. Some studies have concluded that the traditional so-called “Big Red Robe” was actually the result of the blending of three varieties by tea farmers. Perhaps more tellingly, the local authority found a tea that they could reasonably christen “Big Red Robe,” and this has allowed the region to continue to claim the role of the flagship brand.

For this reason, among the four heavyweights Rock Teas—Big Red Robe, Golden Water Turtle, White Cockscomb and Iron Arhat — the most famous Big Red Robe is more a name for a “grade” of tea than a specific variety. It might be more realistic to say the name now represents an ideal set of qualities in Rock Tea.

“Craggy charm,” a fairly high degree of fermentation and dry-roasting — such are the unchanging ingredients of Rock Tea, as well as the “solitary” flavor of Rock Tea. But in the rapidly changing China of today where all is in a state of flux, everything progresses with the times, and Oolong undergoes frequent facelifts. The Oolong on the market today has basically done away with dry-roasting, and even its level of fermentation is lighter than in the past, changing our perception of what characteristics a traditional Oolong should have.

Among these Oolong varieties, Iron Mercy Goddess is most representative. The “greening” of Oolong — processing it like an unfermented green tea — first began on the island of Taiwan. Taiwan is also home to White Tip Oolong, an unrivaled variety once praised by the Queen of England as “Oriental Beauty.” But the overall competitiveness of Taiwan’s Oolong cannot be compared to that cultivated on the mainland of China in our day. Accordingly, Taiwanese tea merchants have created “light” Oolong, emphasizing its fragrance, and promoted this characteristic as a standard to be applied during formal tea-tasting.

Just when light Oolong dominates the market within Taiwan, the only tea that continues to adhere to its original character and traditional processing is Rock Tea. The reason it occupies a niche market is due to the “stringy” finished tea leaves that result from light rolling; they cannot easily be transported because they occupy a lot of space, and cannot be vacuum-packed. Even more troublesome, annual dry-roasting is required if long-term storage is desired.

Rock Tea is like a lonely hermit who lives in seclusion in deep mountains and brooks. Its temperament is similar to a forty-something male: rich in life experiences, a bit stubborn, and a tad pedantic. He disdains explaining himself and is unconcerned with changes in the material world. He simply exists in a natural state, concealing his lofty scholarly spirit.

The Neo-Confucian thinker Zhu Xi once wrote a line of verse in praise of Wuyi Rock Tea: “Frigid is the valley / Neither bee nor butterfly dally.” This line prophetically captures the state of this “reclusive” tea.

IRON MERCY GODDESS 铁观音

In terms of a specific variety of tea, Iron Mercy Goddess is the undisputed market share leader in the Chinese mainland today. Both the young and the old, the elite and the commoners all enjoy Iron Mercy Goddess, comprising a tea-consuming clientele that transcends differences in location, age, and class. Perhaps its popularity is mainly due to, among others, the “breadth” of the beverage’s appeal as a semi-fermented “Oolong tea” (Qing Cha).

More specifically, Iron Mercy Goddess is classified between green, black and Pu-erh Tea, and it is endowed with a light aroma of an unfermented tea combined with the more complex flavor of a fully fermented one. Furthermore, the “maturity” (age) of Iron Mercy Goddess’s tea leaves and their degree of fermentation can be adjusted, and there is also the option of dry-roasting, and if so, for how long. It is evident that the Iron Mercy Goddess on the market in recent years is less thoroughly fermented and dry-roasted for a shorter time than in the more distant past. The traditional practice of retaining the reddish edges during fermentation, referred to as "red-trimmed green leaves,” is now considered passe. Of course, the production and tasting of tea remain subjective to the whims of fashion, and there is always a possibility that “classic” Iron Mercy Goddess may stage a comeback.

Iron Mercy Goddess is cultivated in Anxi, Fujian Province. Like other tea production centers, Anxi features mist-covered peaks that host narrow swathes of land with pristine water sources. Just as when porcelain is mentioned, Jingdezhen is inevitably cited, Iron Mercy Goddess has basically become a synonym for Anxi.

The origin of the Iron Mercy Goddess moniker can claim certain uniqueness. For example, Dragon Well Tea is produced in Hangzhou’s Dragon Well; Big Red Robe is a historical allusion (a Ming emperor, cured of an illness by the tea, ordered that the tea plant be draped in red robes); and Bamboo Leaves Green is named after the shape and flavor of its tea leaves. But Iron Mercy Goddess’s appellation reputedly originates in the name of the plant on which it grows. However, if we look further into the past, Iron Mercy Goddess also has its own historical allusion: after he tasted Iron Mercy Goddess, the great tea and literary connoisseur Emperor Qianlong bestowed this name on the tea because its leaves are weighty and thick and colored like iron, and its curved, feminine shape and fragrance bring the Goddess of Mercy to mind.

Like the vast majority of Oolong tea, Iron Mercy Goddess utilizes freshly picked mature tea leaves. For this reason, it differs from green tea whose buds or tender leaves have not fully opened. The leaves plucked for Iron Mercy Goddess resemble the mien of a lovely woman awakening in the early morning, her beauty burgeoning — thus they are dubbed a "bare-faced harvest”.

When plucked, the leaves are taken while the stems are generally discarded, unlike green tea that comprises a stem along with the leaves on it. To form the tea leaves into a semi-sphere or a somewhat looser shape, they are wrapped in a cloth and tumbled by hand. After processing, the finished tea takes on a brownish-green hue.

A porcelain or Yixing tureen or teapot are all acceptable for steeping Iron Mercy Goddess, but the choice depends upon the maturity of the leaves, and the style and ambiance that the tea brewer wishes to evoke. Because Iron Mercy Goddess is less fermented and dry-roasted, the temperature of the water should be lower than for Rock Tea — no higher than 90 degrees centigrade, and preferably a bit less. The amount of tea placed in the pot should allow the leaves to expand fully upon infusion. If too numerous, the leaves at the bottom will not entirely unfold. The liquor will have an unpleasantly "stagnant" air about it.

Another Oolong tea, Rock Tea, has a stringy shape that is relatively fluffy, while Iron Mercy Goddess is more rounded and more tightly rolled. Therefore, when placed in the tea vessel, Iron Mercy Goddess and Rock Tea will look rather different. Rock Tea requires much more space once it is infused.

The name “Irom Mercy Goddess” has its roots in Buddhist vocabulary, but over time the Goddess of Mercy has evolved into the image of a compassionate and beautiful female. Intriguingly, the original Mercy Goddess was a masculine image, and “iron” accentuated this feeling of maleness. Indeed, the taste of Iron Mercy Goddess is like a determined male in his later thirties: he is mature and has made his mark in our rough-and-tumble world; he has a certain shrewdness and inscrutability, and one must spend some time to grasp his qualities. Because the characteristics of Iron Mercy Goddess are similar to someone nearing his thirties, devoted connoisseurs — especially middle-aged career civil servants — often insist that Iron Mercy Goddess has a marked “official” taste to it.

FROZEN-SUMMIT OOLONG 冻顶乌龙茶

A key source of tea within China, Taiwan produces While Taiwanese Oolong still cannot compete with outside the island, nonetheless within the mainland, Taiwanese Oolong is recording greater market penetration year by year. This trend is not merely evidenced by rising market share or the increasing number of fans of Taiwanese Oolong who do not hail from the island; it is even more apparent that Oolong tea made in the mainland has actually taken to emulating those grown and produced on the opposite side of the Taiwan Straits.

In recent years, the level of fermentation undergone by Iron Mercy Goddess made in the mainland has dropped markedly compared to earlier times, with more emphasis placed on its aroma. Superficially, this is rooted in a “pop culture” the phenomenon in which consumers are influenced by claims that green tea is “healthier.” But there is also a less obvious reason for Iron Mercy Goddess’s evolution: the deep-seated influence of Taiwanese Oolong whose lighter levels of fermentation and emphasis on aroma are, after all, its creative hallmarks.

Contemporary Taiwan hosts many tea cultivation regions and varieties of tea produced there feature a plethora of names. If we go back somewhat in history, we can divide Taiwanese tea into two major categories. One belongs to those originally introduced from Fujian Province (located directly opposite Taiwan), Frozen- summit Oolong and Wenshan Pouchong being representative of this category; and the second is a tea that is truly native to Taiwan — White Tip Oolong, also known as Pekoe Oolong. Frozen-summit Oolong and Wenshan Pouchong happen to possess the traits of Taiwan Oolong tea described above, that is, light fermentation and an emphasis on the aroma.

The designation “Frozen-summit” is associated with the mountain of this name in Taiwan where it is cultivated. In standard Mandarin, the Chinese characters for this name are “Tung Ting". In the Taiwanese dialect, “Tung Ting” means “to tip-toe.” One had to walk on the very tips of one's toes in order to negotiate the rugged and slippery mountain paths. That’s because the weather was rainy and humid year-round. The unique environmental conditions make Frozen-summit Oolong special too.

Historically, Frozen-summit Oolong introduced into Taiwan from Fujian has been produced in a manner similar to Iron Mercy Goddess grown in the mainland. Its shape in finished form is also similar to Iron Mercy Goddess, shaped somewhere between a semi-sphere and a fully rounded pellet. But traditionally Frozen-summit Oolong was less heavily fermented than Iron Mercy Goddess, and therefore was a bit less worldly-wise and a tad fresher; a little less subtle, and a bit more trenchant. The temperament of Frozen-summit Oolong lies in a certain elegance that is neither overbearing nor fawning, hidden beneath an understated maturity. This results in an admirable combination, a calm yet uninhibited “personality.”

When harvested in the winter or the spring, Frozen-summit Oolong is highly soluble and its flavor at its most mellow. Plucked in the autumn, however, the tea is often judged short on the body and lacking in the aftertaste.

Although autumnal Frozen-summit Oolong is less mellow than the spring version, the former is somehow endowed with a fragrance — one that cannot be intentionally acquired—like the rarefied ambiance of a traditional Chinese ink-wash landscape painting. It appears a bit faint and insubstantial, but it has been enriched with a noticeable spunk.

The changes between the tastes of spring and autumnal Frozen-summit Oolong are like the transition from passionate love to the cool-heartedness one gradually feels after separation. Tea leaves plucked in different seasons fits one's mood at different times and this is also part of the spiritual dimension of tea.

Brewing Frozen-summit Oolong in a Yixing clay teapot should highlight its personality. If you steep the tea in an eggshell tureen, besides an especially deep flavor you will also benefit from a slightly brisk sensation on your palette. And even if you infuse the tea in a blue-and-white porcelain cup in the office, simply and conveniently, this too is consistent with Frozen-summit’s temperament.

Wenshan Pouchong is also known as Pouchong clear tea, and it is often treated as a “sister tea" to Frozen-summit Oolong. Wenshan Pouchong is cultivated in the Wenshan Mountains of Taiwan. As to why it is called “Pouchong,” it is said that in the Qing Dynasty when sealing technology was not as developed as nowadays, this tea was tightly wrapped on the inside and outside using dual-layer bamboo paper in order to retain its aroma. This packaging was called “Pouchong,” literally, “wrapped variety (of tea).”

Wenshan Pouchong is arguably the Oolong tea variety that most emphasizes tea leaves with a refreshing fragrance. The raw tea leaves used in Wenshan Pouchong are even tenderer than those in Frozen-summit Oolong, and the former is less heavily fermented as well. The degree of rolling applied is similar for both these teas, and Wenshan Pouchong forms a stringy shape that curls naturally. For these reasons, Pouchong can be brewed with water that is slightly cooler than that required for Frozen-summit Oolong.

In Taiwan, White Tip Oolong is quite heavily fermented, and in the Oolong family, it resembles black tea the most. Pouchong, on the contrary, is very lightly fermented and therefore qualifies as the closest thing to a green tea among Oolong family members.

For the reason, when brewing Pouchong clear tea, the feeling is of a tea somewhere between juvenescence and maturity, and the taste also is firmly “in between.” Like a vibrant, cheerful youth just entering society, the aroma wafts lightly; like the corner of a young girl’s skirt inflated by a gust of wind, or a young man’s sleeves fluttering in the wind, one is tempted to approach yet hesitant to spoil the moment.

WHITE TIP OOLONG 白尖乌龙茶

White Tip Oolong is a rare variety grown only in Taiwan with few rivals anywhere in the world. It is commonly known by one of its many sobriquets: "Oriental Beauty,” "Champagne Beauty,” “Tri-colored Tea,” “Bitten Tea,” and “Boast Tea,” among others. These sobriquets tell us a great deal about the unique properties of this variety.

The name, “White Tip Oolong,” captures many of the significant properties of this variety. We have mentioned in the former chapter on green tea that, generally speaking, the more white tips we find in the tea, the more tender it is believed to be and the higher it will be priced. However, this rule does not normally apply to Oolong tea. The ingredients for this variety are mature tea leaves. Therefore, in most cases, we do not see white tips in Oolong tea. However, White Tip Oolong is an exception, as it is the only variety of Oolong tea that uses buds, which partly explains its uniqueness. You can try every variety of green tea but still never know what fermented tea tastes like. You can try every other variety of Oolong tea but you still have no idea of the aroma of bud tea. Taking a sip of White Tip Oolong, you will remember forever the fragrance that half-fermented bud tea can produce.

White Tip Oolong is heavily withered and fermented, and thus shares more similarities with the black tea category, which is heavily withered and fully fermented.

How much tea leaves are withered can be identified by observing how much water the bottom of the tea leaves takes in after brewed. In most cases, the withering level changes with the amount of fermentation that has taken place. As White Tip Oolong is a heavily fermented bud tea, it should be brewed at a water temperature between that for green tea and that for Oolong tea.

White Tip Oolong is rolled into long curled leaves, with a bud ridden with white tips, the second leaf reddish in color and the third yellowish. Therefore, it is also known as the “Tri-colored Tea.” Some people maintain that one can identify white, green, red, yellow and brown colors in the dry tea leaves, and thus insist on referring to White Tip Oolong as “Five-colored Tea.” Dragon Well as a variety of the green tea category is roughly divided into Lotus Heart, Banner Spear and Bird’s Tongue, based on the shape of the bud leaves. However, White Tip Oolong is named “Tri-colored Tea” or “Five-colored Tea” on the basis of color variations that have taken place in the fermentation process.

Generally speaking, green tea is harvested prior to the Qingming Festival (literally translated as “Pure Brightness” and sometimes known as the Tomb Sweeping Festival) or Guyu (literally, Grain Rain), while Oolong tea can be harvested in spring, autumn or winter. However, in order to produce White Tip Oolong, farmers have to prick buds or tender leaves around the Dragon Boat Festival in the summertime. The reason is quite interesting. Top-quality White Tip Oolong has a unique flavor that is believed to be a product of bites inflicted by a certain kind of grasshopper. This explains why Taiwan is the only production area for this tea variety. Even though we can find similar geographic and climatic conditions in other parts of the world, it would be challenging and even problematic to introduce this special kind of grass-hopper along with the tea trees. This also explains why White Tip Oolong earns the name “Bitten Tea.” Generally speaking, the more seriously tea leaves have been bitten, the smaller their bottoms will be, and the tougher the bottoms will turn when brewed, as few tender buds can sustain growth after being bitten by grass-hoppers. This is the magic of nature. The insect plague contributes to the distinctive aroma of White Tip Oolong: a blessing in disguise.

White Tip Oolong was highly-priced due to its rarity in ancient China. Therefore, drinking White Tip Oolong was seen as a gesture of conspicuous consumption. This association gives birth to the sobriquet, “Boast Tea.” This anecdote is reminiscent of Dragon Well story, which was disdained as “flattery” by the general public as Dragon Well was exclusively monopolized by local officials as a tribute to please superiors. These anecdotes indicate that tea culture was already deeply ingrained in popular culture even though drinking tea remained mostly a privilege of the nobility and literati in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Those tea varieties which were unaffordable for the general population — due to their astonishingly high price — were thus denigrated with popular mockery and contempt.

The story behind the “Oriental Beauty” sobriquet is more legendary. It is said that the British Queen was so impressed by the scent and pleasing look of the tea liquor that she insisted that White Tip Oolong deserved the title of “Oriental Beauty.” As this sobriquet started to gain popularity, White Tip Oolong was often compared to delicate and charming ladies. However, as “there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes,” there is no consensus on how to interpret a certain variety of tea. Therefore, we can also interpret White Tip Oolong in our own way. As a heavily-fermented tea. White Tip Oolong also encapsulates the masculinity of a sophisticated man. It has no equivalent in tea, as unique as) Jia Baoyu in “A Dream of Red Mansions,” immersed in a female world of powder without compromising his masculinity, like a flawless jade falling into the mortal world.

The sobriquet "Champagne Beauty" can be explained in two ways. Firstly, it is said we can identify tinges of champagne in the tea liquor of White Tip Oolong. Secondly, Westerners have been known to add a drop of champagne to its tea liquor to produce a unique flavor. This practice of mixing wine and tea challenges convention. But it should be acknowledged that people can drink tea however they choose. As long as the nutrition in the tea is not compromised, we can make tea in an innovative way to express our sentiments and create a unique tea experience.