Dong Ding Oolong Tea

Dongding Oolong Tea, commonly known astung ting oolong tea, is a highly popular tea in Taiwan, China. It is made from Qingxin Oolong and is a lightly or moderately fermented tea. It has a curled, semi-spherical shape, dark green colour, and bright yellow-green brew. It has a long, high-aroma fragrance with floral and caramel notes, a sweet, heavy and thick taste, and is resistant to repeated brewing. It is a treasure among Taiwanese Oolong teas.

Dong Ding Oolong Tea Details:

Product name: Dongding Oolong Tea
Place of origin: Fujian Province, China
Net content: 250g
Shelf life: 540 days
Storage: Protect from moisture, odours and direct light

Dong Ding Oolong Tea Picking and Production:

The production process of Dong Ding Oolong Tea is very particular. The Dong Ding Oolong Tea we produce is made from selected leaves such as Qingxin Oolong. The process involves sun fixation, cool fixation, wave fixation, stir fixation, rolling, initial roasting, repeated rolling (wrapping and rolling), re-roasting, and re-roasting. Dongding tea can be picked all year round. Spring tea is picked from late March to late May; summer tea from late May to late August; autumn tea from late August to late September; and winter tea from mid-October to late November. The tender shoots with one bud and two or three leaves are picked. The best time to pick is from 10 am to 2 pm every day, and the tea leaves are immediately sent to the factory for processing.
The production process is divided into two main processes: primary processing and refinement. In primary processing, tea leaf conditioning is the main procedure. Tea leaves are lightly fermented by exposing them to sunlight for 20 to 30 minutes after being picked, which softens the leaves and causes moderate evaporation of water so that the tea buds remain intact during rolling. Withering should be turned frequently to allow the tea leaves to fully absorb oxygen and undergo fermentation. Once fermentation has produced a clear fragrance, the leaves are subjected to high-temperature fixation. Then the tea leaves are reshaped to form half-spherical strips. A winnowing machine is used to separate the coarse from the fine, and the strips are then sent to the roaster to be roasted at a high temperature to reduce the caffeine content.

How to Brew Dongding Oolong Tea:

1. Washing tea utensils‌: Rinse the teacup and tea utensils with boiling water to ensure that they are clean and at the right temperature. This not only enhances the tea aroma but also meets hygiene standards.
   
2. Place the tea leaves‌: Add the right amount of tea leaves according to the characteristics of the tea leaves and the capacity of the teapot. Generally speaking, the amount of tea leaves added should be about 1/3 of the capacity of the teapot.
3. ‌Brew‌: Pour boiling water into the teapot. Pay attention to the water temperature, which should be controlled at 95-100 °C. Dongding Oolong is a semi-fermented tea, and a high water temperature can better stimulate its aroma and taste. When brewing, you can brew multiple times to maintain the quality of the tea broth.
4. ‌Pouring the tea‌ cups: Pour the hot water into the cup and use the lid to gently stir the foam to make the tea soup more even. This action also further cleans the tea set and enhances the tea-tasting experience.
5. ‌Controlling the brewing time‌: The initial brewing time is short and then gradually lengthened. Generally speaking, the first brew can be controlled at about 30 seconds, and then each brew gradually increases by 5-10 seconds. This allows the aroma and flavour of the tea to be fully released.
6. ‌Pouring the tea‌: Pour the brewed tea into the tea sea or the fair cup to make the concentration even. Then, pour it evenly into the teacup for drinking. This ensures that each cup of tea tastes the same.

Dongding Oolong Tea Characteristics:

Appearance: The dry tea leaves of Dongding oolong tea are tightly packed in a hemispherical shape, dark green with a brown tint, with a faint goldenyellow hue around the edges. The infused leaf is reddish at the edges and light green in the center, earning it the name ‘green leaves with a red rim’.

Aroma characteristics: Dongding Oolong tea has a long-lasting aroma with a unique floral and caramel fragrance. Some also have a ripe fruit or osmanthus fragrance. The aroma is warm and pleasant, intoxicating.

Tea soup characteristics: After brewing, the tea soup is goldenyellow and slightly honey-green, clear and translucent. As the number of brewings increases, the colour of the tea soup will gradually darken, but it will always remain clear and bright.
Taste characteristics: Dongding Oolong Tea has a mellow, thick, and sweet taste with a smooth mouthfeel and a long-lasting aftertaste. It has the floral aroma of oolong tea and a unique roasting flavour that is full of surprises.

Quality grades: Dongding Oolong Tea can be divided into several grades according to quality, including Special Grade, Grade 1, and Grade 2. Special Grade Dongding Oolong Tea has the best appearance, aroma, and taste and is a treasure among teas.

Dongding Oolong Tea Benefits:

Promotes digestion: The dietary fibre in Dongding Oolong Tea can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, which is beneficial for the digestion and absorption of food and can improve indigestion.

Helps with weight loss: The caffeine and tea polyphenols in Dongding Oolong Tea can increase the feeling of fullness, reduce the body's intake of other foods, and promote fat metabolism, which is helpful for weight loss.

‌Prevents tooth decay‌: The polyphenols in Dongding oolong tea can inhibit the production of tartar-forming enzymes, effectively preventing tooth decay and protecting dental health.

‌Lowers blood lipids‌: Ingredients such as L-alpha-aminobutyric acid in Dongding oolong tea have the effect of lowering blood lipids and blood pressure, reducing the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, and are beneficial to cardiovascular health.
‌Refreshes the mind‌: The caffeine in Dongding oolong tea can stimulate the cerebral cortex, increase the excitability of the nervous system, refresh the mind and help relieve fatigue.