Chinese Tea - Oolong Tea Brewing

There are four main methods of steeping tea, two conventional and two traditional. Since I’m only referring to Chinese loose leaf teas, the principles behind all these methods need a bit of further explaining for those crossing the bridge from tea bags to fine loose teas. Remember, tea is still always a matter of letting leaves sit in water and then enjoying, so don’t be put off by all the methods written below for making a cup of Chinese tea – It’s still a cup of tea!

The first principle of tea steeping to remember is that the few leaves/pieces/bits/rolls of tea that you start with can be used to produce dozens of rounds of tea. How many rounds is dependent on the type of tea and often the quality as well. Each time you brew one round of tea, it is called an ‘infusion’. Once the liquid is removed or ‘decanted’ it can again be used with more hot water and ‘reinfused’; creating another infusion. All of these main tea methods exist as ways for infusing tea, decanting, and then pouring into cups. The idea is to preserve the leaves while you drink the tea to allow them to resist further infusions and continue to properly let out flavor. For example, if you are planning on drinking tea alone and make a whole pot for yourself, without decanting the pot of tea, the leaves will let out their entire flavor into the first infusion while you drink your first cup! That isn’t to say that decanting is 100% necessary, just as long as you have enough tea drinkers to empty a pot.

Manual production method supported by tradition and craftsmanship.
The production of delicious oolong tea requires time-honored tradition and outstanding craftsmanship. Tea leaves are picked on the morning of a clear day. They should be picked in units consisting of one bud and three leaves and exposed to the sun. This is the first stage. The second stage is to dry them indoors to promote fermentation. The most crucial part in the production of oolong tea is when to stop fermentation. As oolong tea is fermented to some extent, it is called semi-fermented tea. Experience is required to identify the best time to stop the fermentation, which is when the leaves are 30% red and 70% green. After this, they are rubbed repeatedly to generate good flavor, aroma, and texture. Then they are dried using charcoal. At the final stage, a tea master grades the quality according to the flavor and characteristics of each batch. China’s Fujian Chaye Jin Chukou Gongsi (Tea Import and Export Corporation and Fujian Tea Association) exports oolong tea to Japan.

Flow of Production Stages (China)
- Tea leaves are picked by hand in units of one bud and three leaves
- First fermentation
- 30% red and 70% green
- Careful decision on when to stop fermentation
- Generation of the qualities unique to oolong tea
- Charcoal drying
- Grading by a tea master
- Export to Japan

In China, tea has historically been used as a medicine. Many studies have been carried out up to the present day about the effects of tea. It has been known for some time that tea helps to control obesity and this is common knowledge in China. A Chinese classical pharmaceutical book called the Bencao Shiyi (The Compendium of Materia Medica) states, “Drinking Chinese tea for a long time will make one live long to stay in good shape without becoming too fat and too heavy.”

A cup of tea in the morning sets the pace of the day. Sitting and chatting with a few good friends over a couple rounds of tea makes life worth living. Brewing Chinese tea calms me down.Chinese tea is more than just something to drink. It has in fact become a way of life for many.