Oolong is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea produced through a process that includes withering the leaves under strong sun and allowing some oxidation to occur before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas,especially those of fine quality,involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties. The degree of oxidation,which is controlled by the length of time between picking and final drying,can range from 8% to 85% depending on the variety and production style. Oolong is especially popular in southeastern China and among ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia,as is the Fujian preparation process known as the gongfu tea ceremony.
Chinese tea culture includes all facets of tea found in Chinese culture throughout history. Physically,it consists of tea cultivation,brewing,serving,consumption,arts,and ceremonial aspects. Tea culture is an integral part of traditional Chinese material culture and spiritual culture. Tea culture emerged in the Tang dynasty,and flourished in the succeeding eras as a major cultural practice and as a major export good.
Lapsang souchong or Zhengshan xiaozhong is a black tea consisting of Camellia sinensis leaves that is smoke-dried over a pinewood fire. This smoking is accomplished either as a cold smoke of the raw leaves as they are processed or as a hot smoke of previously processed leaves. The intensity of the smoke aroma can be varied by locating the leaves closer or farther from the source of heat and smoke or by adjusting the duration of the process. The flavour and aroma of smoked lapsang souchong is described as containing empyreumatic notes,including wood smoke,pine resin,smoked paprika,and dried longan;it may be mixed with milk but is not bitter and usually not sweetened with sugar. The tea originates from the Wuyi Mountains region of Fujian and is considered a Wuyi tea. It is also produced in Taiwan. It has been labelled as smoked tea,smoky souchong,tarry lapsang souchong and lapsang souchong crocodile. While the tea leaf grading system adopted the term souchong to refer to a particular leaf position,lapsang souchong may be made with any leaf of the Camellia sinensis plant,though it is not unusual for the lower leaves,which are larger and less flavourful,to be used as the smoking compensates for the lower flavour profile and the higher leaves are more valuable for use in unflavoured or unblended teas. In addition to its consumption as a tea,lapsang souchong is also used in stock for soups,stews and sauces or otherwise as a spice or seasoning. Beginning in the early 21st century,an unsmoked variety of lapsang souchong was developed in the village of Tong Mu Guan in the Wuyi mountains. The unsmoked variety has become increasingly popular,particularly in the Chinese domestic market.
Pu'er or pu-erh is a variety of fermented tea traditionally produced in Yunnan Province,China. In the context of traditional Chinese tea production terminology,fermentation refers to microbial fermentation,and is typically applied after the tea leaves have been sufficiently dried and rolled. As the tea undergoes controlled microbial fermentation,it also continues to oxidize,which is also controlled,until the desired flavors are reached. This process produces tea known as hēichá (黑茶),literally "black tea",though the term is commonly translated to English as "dark tea" to distinguish it from the English-language black tea,for which it is not.
Tieguanyin is a variety of Chinese oolong tea that originated in the 19th century in Anxi in Fujian province. Tieguanyin produced in different areas of Anxi have different gastronomic characteristics.
Chinese teas can be classified into six distinctive categories:white,green,yellow,oolong,black and post-fermented. Others add categories for scented and compressed teas. All of these come from varieties of the Camellia sinensis plant. Most Chinese teas are cultivated and consumed in China. It is commonly available in Chinese restaurants and grocery shops worldwide. Green tea is the most common type of tea consumed in China.
Traditionally,Vietnamese tea drinking is considered a hobby of the older,more learned members in households and in society in general,although currently it has been becoming more popular in younger demographics as well. Tea drinking would accompany aristocratic activities such as composing poems,tending flowers,or simply appreciating nature. Vietnamese people generally favor lighter teas with flower fragrance,such as green tea or floral-scented white tea. Vietnam has amongst the world's oldest trees,dating back to 1000 years.
Shui Xian is a cultivar of Camellia sinensis as well as an oolong tea traditionally from the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian,China. The infused color is a deep amber which is characteristic for many other Wuyi oolong teas. This tea is also grown in Taiwan and Guangdong.
Huang Meigui is a relatively new Wuyi oolong tea,developed c. 2002. It has a highly aromatic fragrance and a lighter floral taste than most other Wuyi oolongs.
Wuyi tea,also known by the trade name Bohea in English,is a category of black and oolong teas grown in the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian,China. The Wuyi region produces a number of well-known teas,including Lapsang souchong and Da Hong Pao. It has historically been one of the major centers of tea production in Fujian province and globally. Both black tea and oolong tea were likely invented in the Wuyi region,which continues to produce both styles today.
Tea blending is the act of blending different teas to produce a final product that differs in flavor from the original tea used. This occurs chiefly with black tea,which is blended to make most tea bags,but it can also occur with such teas as Pu-erh,where leaves are blended from different regions before being compressed. The most prominent type of tea blending is commercial tea blending,which is used to ensure consistency of a batch on a mass scale so that any variations between different batches and seasons of tea production do not affect the final product. Commercially,it is considered important that any batch of a particular blend must taste the same as the previous batch,so a consumer will not be able to detect a difference in flavor from one purchase to the next.
Dongfang meiren(Chinese:東方美人;lit. 'eastern beauty') or Oriental Beauty,or baihao(白毫),among other Chinese names,is a heavily oxidized,non-roasted,tip-type oolong tea originating in Hsinchu County,Taiwan. It is a tea produced from leaves bitten by the tea jassid,an insect that feeds on the tea plant. Terpenes are released in the bitten leaves,which creates a honey-like taste. Oriental beauty,white-tip oolong,and champagne oolong are other names under which dongfang meiren is marketed in the West.
Canned tea is a relatively recent method of marketing tea which has been sold traditionally as leaf tea and also,for the last 100 years,in tea bag form. It utilises the canning process to produce a ready made drink. Perceived advantages includes ease of use and the possibility of additives;the disadvantages are the cost of shipment and a lack of freshness.
Tea processing is the method in which the leaves from the tea plant Camellia sinensis are transformed into the dried leaves for brewing tea.
High-mountain tea or gaoshan tea refers to several varieties of Oolong tea grown in the mountains of central Taiwan. It is grown at altitudes higher than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level,and includes varieties such as Alishan,Dayuling,Yu Shan,Wushe,and Lishan. The high humidity and natural precipitation in the high mountain ranges of Nantou and Chiayi Counties make the region a suitable environment for growing tea plants. High Mountain Oolong is a tea that holds all of its original nutrients that are within the unfermented green tea. It does not hold the usual grass-like taste,hints of chestnut flavor paired with nutty aromas are often described. The fermentation process that removes the harsh ingredients allows the tea to taste flavorful.
Huangjin Gui is a premium variety of Chinese oolong tea traditionally from Anxi in Fujian province. Named after the yellow golden color of its budding leaves and its unique flowery aroma,it is said to be reminiscent of Osmanthus.
Taiwanese tea includes four main types:oolong tea,black tea,green tea and white tea. The earliest record of tea trees found in Taiwan is from 1717 in Shui Sha Lian (水沙連),present-day Yuchi and Puli,Nantou County. Some of the teas retain the island country's former name,Formosa.
Ruan zhi or ruanzhi is a cultivar of the tea plant that is usually processed into oolong. The tea is also known as qingxin or #17. It originates from Anxi County in Fujian province,in the People's Republic of China. The taste is light and the aroma is often compared to orchids. This tea variety is used to produce famous highland oolong teas such as tung-tin,Oriental beauty,and baozhong.
Dong Ding,also spelled Tung-ting,is an oolong tea from Taiwan. A translation of Dong Ding is "Frozen Summit" or "Icy Peak",and is the name of the mountain in Taiwan where the tea is cultivated. Those plants were brought to Taiwan from the Wuyi Mountains in China's Fujian Province about 150 years ago.
