8
Oolong

Oolong tea is a partially oxidised (i.e. semi-fermented)tea, halfway between a green and a red tea.

“The leaves of oolong teas are skilfully rolled and oxidised after picking, allowing the essential tea ingredients to react with the air,” Artteas Imma Plana explains.
“The flavour of oolong ranges from highly floral, intensely fruity to mildly roasted with honey nuances. Artteas offers more than 10 different variations.”

Different varieties of oolong are processed differently, but the leaves are formed into one of two distinct styles. Some are rolled into long curly leaves, while others are ‘wrap-curled’ into small beads, each with a tail. The former style is the more traditional of the two.

Story continues below
Advertisement

A widely used ceremonial method of steeping oolongs in Taiwan and China is called gongfucha. This method uses a small steeping vessel with more tea than usual for the amount of water used. Multiple short steeps of 20 seconds to one minute are performed.

Article continues on next page ...