Each has its own distinct style derived from local techniques and traditions. There are four separate regions that produce commonly recognized wulong tea. Horse Head Rock in the Wuyi Mountains, Fujian Roasting involves temperatures of 210-280°f for about 30 minutes to one-hour intervals with periods of rest in between. Most wulong teas are defined by their roasting so this step is common to most styles (Bao Zhong is an exception). The goal is to remove any unwanted odors and bring forth desired aromas.Īll the above steps produce what they call mao cha (rough tea) which is also a finished product unto itself. This is the longer, lower-temperature process of removing the remaining moisture in the leaf down to a stable level. The purpose is to shape the leaf, reduce moisture, and draw out further flavor and aromatic elements (you can probably notice a pattern here). Anxi wulong and Taiwan Tung Ting are referred to as “semi-ball” style, which is a longer, repeated rolling/drying process that requires more equipment and patience. Rock wulong, Dan Cong and Bao Zhong are long strips of twisted leaves more evident of traditional hand-rolling. How it is rolled depends very much on the style of tea. This step is also important for locking in and preserving the aromatic character of the tea. The time and temperature of kill-green have significant effects on the outcome of the tea and how it will be handled afterwards. How much oxidation that was allowed up to this point is dependent on the regional style and the tea makers choice. This step is more commonly referred to as “kill-green” and it stops/slows further oxidation (the initial step used when making green tea). The process of shaking and withering is alternated numerous times until the leaf is ready to move on to the next step. It also moves moisture from the stem and fibrous structures back into the leaf, bringing out more flavor and aromatic elements. The act of shaking is to make tiny “bruises” at the leaf’s edge where the cell wall is punctured and oxidation is allowed to happen (the Chinese use the term “fermentation” instead of “oxidation”). The purpose of withering is to allow moisture to evaporate, make the leaf more pliable (in order for it to not break during processing later), and to bring forth the aromatic elements from the leaves. The Anxi local language called it “wuliang cha” (translation: “black and good tea”), but that local pronunciation of “liang” sounded like “long”, meaning “Dragon.” The proper pinyin spelling is “wulong” tea, but it is more common in English to see it spelled “oolong tea” and they mean the same thing.Įach style of wulong tea is particular, so the below mentioned processing steps are generic, but to some degree all wulongs share them.Īfter the tea is picked, it is brought to its place of manufacture (which is close by) and spread out over large surfaces to wither. At the time when it originated in Fujian, all wulong had this dark color. In China, the color cyan used to be more associated with “black” and often times the terms for these colors were used together (“wuqing”) which translates as “Bruising color” (the color of the leaves after bumping around during shaking). Wulong translates as “black dragon” (which sounds cool to us), but it used to be referred to as “Qing Cha” (Cyan Tea). It’s the shared process of elaborate transformation (withering, shaking, pan-firing, rolling, drying, baking) that put these otherwise disparate group of teas under the same name.Įven the name does not have a fixed definition. The oxidation level alone does not distinguish it as “wulong” tea. It is typically described as “partially oxidized tea”, which is not wrong, but it’s not a complete picture. Wulong tea (more commonly spelled “oolong tea”) doesn’t have a fixed definition.
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