How Taiwanese Oolong Tea is Made
Taiwan’s Oolong Tea production methods are renowned for being some of the best in the world. There are a lot of steps in making Oolong Tea and each affects the taste of the final product. Here, we provide an overview of what goes into making a great loose leaf Taiwanese Oolong Tea.
Eco-Cha Tea Club: Long Feng Xia High Mountain Oolong Tea Tasting Notes
Batch #38 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is kicking off 2019 with a cutting edge rendition of Taiwanese High Mountain Oolong Tea. We're inspired to share this batch of tea because of its differentiating value from the conventional market grade High Mountain Tea that has become well known in Taiwan and beyond.
Eco-Cha Tea Club: Long Feng Xia High Mountain Oolong Tea
Long Feng Xia (龍鳳峽) or Dragon Phoenix Gorge is a deep river valley on the south side of the Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Tea growing region. Long Feng Xia is also the place name of the ridge overlooking this gorge, and is well known in Taiwan as the source of some of the best quality Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Tea.
How Long Does Tea Stay Fresh?
The shelf life of tea is a common topic of discussion among tea drinkers. We often see questions such as:
- Can tea go bad?
- How do I keep my loose leaf tea fresh?
- Which teas have longer or shorter shelf lives?
Let's look at some of the factors that affect how long your tea stays fresh.
Eco-Cha Tea Club: Red Oolong Tasting Notes
Appearance of the dried leaves is the first step in assessing any loose leaf tea. We can see by the coloration that these leaves are partially oxidized, with both green hues and darker tones. This is the first sign that it is a traditionally made Oolong tea. In recent trends, tea made in this fashion has been given the name "hong Oolong" or Red Oolong. It's actually just a new name for an old recipe.
Eco-Cha Tea Club: Red Oolong Tea
This is what inspired us to share this batch of tea that was produced in Nantou County. We consider this batch of tea to be properly named Red Oolong, simply because the leaves are obviously only partially oxidized. The flavor of the tea has aspects of a Black Tea character while maintaining the fragrant, aromatic complexity of an Oolong.
The Science of How Tea Can Prolong Our Lifespan
Drinking tea can actually help protect the health of our DNA, which can prolong our lives. Research has shown that a healthy habit of tea drinking may extend our lives up to five years!
A large group of older Chinese men who drank 3 cups or more of tea daily recorded longer telomere lengths, and almost five years of added life, compared with people who drank one cup or less. The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, applies to green and black tea.
Eco-Cha Tea Club: Fo Shou Oolong Tea Tasting Notes
Fo Shou, or Buddha Hand, is a traditionally made Oolong Tea with deep roots — literally. This name refers to a large-leaf strain of tea, putting in the same category as Wild Tea, Assam, and Red Jade #18. Large-leaf strains are a category that is distinctly separate from the majority of small-leaf tea strains cultivated for Chinese Oolong, Green and Black Tea production.
Eco-Cha Tea Club: Fo Shou Oolong Tea
This month, we are celebrating the third anniversary of the Eco-Cha Tea Club by sharing a batch of Fo Shou Oolong Tea for the very first time. The Chinese Fo Shou (佛手) means Buddha Hand. The name refers to the tea plant, or cultivar, which classifies as a large leaf type. This puts it in the category of Assam, and wild strains of tea, along with the Taiwanese hybrid cultivar — Red Jade #18. Despite the fact that virtually all large leaf type strains of tea are cultivated for Black Tea production in Taiwan, Fo Shou has found its unique niche in the making of (partially oxidized) Oolong Tea. Similar to its predecessor in mainland China, this batch of Fo Shou was made in the fashion of traditionally made Tie Guan Yin from Mu Zha, Taiwan.
5 Things to Watch Out for When Storing Loose Leaf Tea
Loose leaf tea is a great way to enjoy tea, but there are some important things to keep in mind when storing it. Where and how you store it can have a great effect on how your final brew tastes. Read on to learn about the five most important things to keep your loose leaf tea fresh and as long lasting as possible.
Eco-Cha Tea Club: Gold Medal Award Winnng Dong Ding Cui Yu Oolong Tea Tasting Notes
The hybrid strain of Cui Yu (翠玉), a.k.a. Tsui Yu, or Jade Oolong, can withstand traditional processing methods of heavier oxidation and roasting with good results. This hybrid strain that became popular in the late 1980's and 1990's along with Jin Xuan, is now becoming relatively rare.
Eco-Cha Tea Club: Gold Medal Award Winning Dong Ding Cui Yu Oolong Tea
This month's batch of tea being shared with the Eco-Cha Tea Club was entered into in the spring 2018 Nantou County Tea Trade Association's Dong Ding Tsui Yu (Cui Yu) Tea Competition, and received the Gold Medal Award. This award ranks within the top 5% of all entries.
