Oolong teas are known for their unique taste, which falls somewhere between green and black tea. The art of making a perfect oolong tea requires great skill and patience. It's not just about the quality of the leaves but also how they're processed.
The process of making an oolong tea begins with selecting the right variety. There are hundreds of varieties, each with its own unique characteristics. Some popular ones include Wuyi Oolong, Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess), Ti Kuan Yin (Iron Guanyin), Dongfang Meiren (Oriental Beauty), Bai Hao Oolong (Dai Qing or White Tip Oolong), and Qingming Hao.
When it comes to choosing the best-tasting oolong tea, many factors come into play. These include terroir - soil composition, climate conditions - temperature and rainfall patterns during different seasons, altitude at which it grows, time when harvested - early spring or late autumn - as well as processing techniques employed after harvesting.
One key aspect in determining whether an oolong tea is good or not is its oxidation level. This refers to how much oxygen has been allowed to interact with the fresh-cut leaves before they were heated to stop further oxidation. In general terms, teas that have undergone minimal oxidation tend towards being more floral while those that have undergone significant oxidation can be described as having notes of honeyed sweetness.
Another crucial factor is how long these leaves have been aged after harvesting before being consumed by us humans who love them so much! Aging allows some natural compounds within these leaves to break down over time resulting in even better tasting flavors! For instance; if you were able keep your favorite bottle open too long then might find yourself wishing someone had opened another one instead because now yours tastes bitter compared what used do when first bottled up tight like little ol' soldiers readying themselves against any enemy coming their way either from inside this world outside where we live our lives today tomorrow next week next month next year etcetera ad infinitum...
