Oolong Tea

<p>Oolong (乌龙茶, wūlóngchà) is the widest category in Chinese tea and the hardest to pin down. It is partially oxidized — somewhere between the near-zero of green tea and the full colour of red tea — but &quot;partially&quot; covers a range from about 15% to 70%. Within that range sit teas that taste like flowers, teas that taste like bread, and teas that taste like stone fruit, all made from the same species.</p> <h2>Why the range is so wide</h2> <p>Where green and red tea are defined by one process decision, oolong is defined by a sequence of them. The leaf is withered in sun, then shaken — repeatedly — until the edges bruise and oxidation begins. Then a firing stops it at a chosen point. How far the maker lets it go, how hard the shaking, how hot the final roast, all shape the cup. Two makers working the same leaf on the same day can produce entirely different teas.</p> <h2>The four regional styles</h2> <p><strong>Wuyi (武夷) in northern Fujian</strong> produces rock oolong — Da Hong Pao, Rougui, Shuixian — from cliff-grown bushes, heavily roasted, with a mineral character the Chinese call 岩韵 yán yùn, &quot;rock rhyme&quot;. <strong>Anxi (安溪) in southern Fujian</strong> makes Tieguanyin, the most famous oolong of all, ball-rolled and lightly oxidized, with an orchid aroma. <strong>Guangdong</strong> makes Fenghuang Dancong from single old bushes, each bush a separate tea, with honey and fruit. <strong>Taiwan</strong> makes Wen Shan Baozhong — the least oxidized — and Dongding, plus the honeyed, bug-bitten Dongfang Meiren.</p> <h2>Roasting is the other axis</h2> <p>Oolong is the only category where roasting is not just a drying step but a flavour decision. Light roast keeps the floral top notes and the green edge. Heavy roast builds toast, cocoa and mineral depth, and makes the tea far more stable in storage. The same Tieguanyin can be sold as a light, almost green &quot;modern&quot; style or as a heavily roasted traditional style, and they are barely the same drink.</p> <h2>What to look for</h2> <p>Oolong leaf after brewing should be thick, whole and flexible — a sign of good picking and gentle handling. The liquor should be clear, never muddy. Aroma matters more than body: oolongs are judged on the nose first, and a tea that smells strongly in the dry leaf but gives nothing in the cup has usually been over-fired or stored poorly.</p> <h2>Brewing</h2> <p>Oolong wants heat and short infusions. Boiling or near-boiling water, a relatively high leaf ratio, and infusions counted in seconds rather than minutes. Six to eight infusions is normal for a good Tieguanyin or Dancong; Wuyi rock teas can go further. This is the category where Gongfu brewing is not optional — a single long Western-style steep flattens everything that makes oolong interesting.</p> <p class="cat-note"><em>This section is maintained by Encyclopedia Tea. Entries are added as gaps are filled.</em></p>