How to properly brew oolong in a teapot: Chinese tea brewing temperature

Author: Julia Kopylova , tea expert.

What is this drink, how to properly and at what temperature should you brew and drink oolong tea at home & ndash; we will analyze in detail in this article.

What is oolong

Oolong, aka oolong, is a selected large-leaved variety characterized by medium fermentation.

Wulong is the most aromatic type of tea grown in China, so this group is most often used for traditional tea ceremonies in the Middle Kingdom.

Oolong plantations can be found in the highlands of Fujian, Anxi Province and on the island of Taiwan. Its second title is & ndash; Cincha, which translates as & laquo; turquoise & raquo; or & laquo; green-blue & raquo;.

Also among the names of the oolong is the lyrical & laquo; Black dragon & raquo;, which symbolizes the change in the shade of the leaves upon contact with water.

In China, oolong occupies the middle step between black and green varieties, combining their best qualities. So, the first have fermentation 100%, the second & ndash; 10-12%, whereas the fermentation of oolong can vary from 20% to 50%.

The prepared drink has a light yellow tint, and has perceptible herbaceous-floral notes in taste.

Oolong calories

This indicator depends on the type of brewing, as well as on the addition or absence of any sweeteners. If you take 100 g of dry product, it contains:

• 140 kCal;
• 20 g of proteins;
• 5.1 g fat;
• 4 g of carbohydrates.

When calculating from 1 tablespoon of dry brew, it turns out:

• 4.2 kCal;
• 0.6 g proteins;
• 0.153g fat;
• 0.12 g of carbohydrates.

A calorie content of 1 cup of drink will not exceed 2 kCal.

Origin and preparation

For the first time they learned about oolong tea bushes in 1982 on about. Taiwan. During World War II, this land was occupied by the Japanese, who opened a research institute on the island.

Professor Wu from China took up the study of new shrubs characterized by high resistance to diseases.

Traditionally, Taiwanese oolong is considered to be the most multifaceted. However, Chinese craftsmen were able to achieve great success in repeating the recipe and creating a variety from the raw materials of Chinese shrubs. At the beginning of the 17th century, oolong began to be delivered to Europe.

He quickly won the recognition and love of noble women, which soon became considered a woman's drink.

Today, whole plantations of fragrant tea are grown, manually collecting buds and leaves from bushes in the spring months. A feature is the use of a whole flash for creating an oolong, consisting of a kidney, 1,2,3 and even 4 leaves.

The leaves collected for the oolong should be fully open, juicy and bright. The best varieties of tea come from & laquo; mother bushes & raquo;, and the original variety came from them.

The production of raw materials depends on the grade, but the general process looks like this:

1. Drying. The harvested crop is placed in the sun and left for 1-1.5 hours, and then removed into the shade.
2. Fermentation. Very carefully mix the leaves in the air, producing withering, in which the side parts begin to give juice. This process continues until the leaves darken.
3. Heat.
4. Twist.
5. Re-drying to remove excess moisture. And in the case of the creation of the category & laquo; dark & raquo; & ndash; bring the heating to light smoked.
6. Packaging.

Note that real oolong & ndash; it is a raw material from exceptionally whole and homogeneous leaflets. The presence of broken parts, twigs and dust indicates a low-grade counterfeit product.

Oolongs can be divided into several types:

• Light oolong have a light floral aroma and delicate taste.
• Dark moons are obtained due to strong roasting. They have a rich taste with notes of nutmeg and a sweet aftertaste.
• Gaba has a spicy taste with a characteristic bread tint and a pronounced sweetness in the aftertaste. Due to the Gamma-aminobutyric acid contained in tea, this tea is able to tone and helps to concentrate, and also has a beneficial effect on the body.
• Oolong with additives. These include dairy varieties. On the Russian-language Internet, you can find stories that each bush is watered with milk mixtures from the moment it is planted until the harvest. Some sellers claim that the leaves take a long time to evaporate in milk and cream. It is worth noting that the cultivation of this variety has nothing to do with natural milk. To achieve the desired effect, manufacturers carry out special processing of tea leaves using dairy, creamy and caramel flavors. Also included in the category of added ouluns are fees with the inclusion of dried fruits in the composition.

The most popular varieties of light oolong include Te Guang Yin , which is harvested in Fujian and Anxi province.

It has a thick, rich scent with honey-floral hues that are most pronounced when inhaled from a cup where the drink was most recently brewed.

Oolong subspecies & ndash is equally popular both in China and beyond; Dong Ding Wulun , grown in Taiwan, and characterized by fruit and flower notes.

One of the most famous dark oolong is the & nbsp; Bai Ji Guan and Narcissus from Mount Ui.

Daffodil from Mt. UI & ndash; another striking representative of the Ulunovs, which is used for both exquisite tea ceremonies and home tea drinking. Bushes are grown in Fujian province, and the collected sheets are heated on charcoal. The drink has a thin, pleasant taste and a long cinnamon-sweet aftertaste.

Huang Jin Gui is also famous in China for its subtle and incredibly stable aroma.

The raw material looks like tightly twisted strips of golden color. At the same time, the tint of the infusion becomes darker and richer after 4-5 infusions.

The popular Wulong variety, moreover, has the status of one of the most famous teas in China & ndash; Wu Yi Zhou Gui. It is characterized by a light cinnamon smell and creamy accents, gradually developing into a very long and refined aftertaste.

How to brew and drink oolong

If you are even a little familiar with holding a traditional tea ceremony, the process will be easy for you. If you have never delved into the details, we will tell you in detail how to make Chinese oolong tea in a teapot.

Note that cooking should take place without fuss or haste. To get a really tasty, fragrant drink, you should temporarily forget about all things, and completely immerse yourself in the process, which will definitely bring you great pleasure and good mood, relieve negative emotions and anxiety, give a feeling of calm, harmony and peace.

Moreover, trying to speed up the result, you can only waste time by getting a completely tasteless infusion.

What you need and how to properly brew milk oolong tea

Before you begin, make sure you have everything you need:

• utensils;
• Bring the water to a boil, after which it should cool for about 5 minutes;
• Treat the kettle and cups with boiling water to rinse and warm up the tea leaves.

Now let's take a closer look at all the steps in this process.

Brewing utensils

The kettle in which you will prepare and infuse the drink is recommended to be used from glass, clay or porcelain. The same material should be used to make cups or bowls from which you will drink oolong.

The choice of dishes depends only on your desire: the best for dark varieties is the use of clay teapots made of Isin clay, the porosity of which is able to remember shades of taste, enriching subsequent brews.

And for brewing light oolong, glass gongfu kettles consisting of 2 flasks are very popular & ndash; infusion from the top is convenient to merge into the bottom, while brewing steamed leaves 2, 3 or 4 times.

Chahai is also often used in tea ceremonies.

This is the so-called bowl of justice, into which the brewed infusion is poured, where it is defended until all, even the smallest, cups settle to the bottom.

It is recommended to use very simple externally utensils so that the patterns do not distract attention from the most important & ndash; custard content.

As mentioned earlier, before making tea, you must pour boiling water over the dishes, and then remove all moisture from the walls and bottom.

Temperatures

First, if you want to get a really tasty, high-quality, fragrant drink, it is recommended to use not hard tap, but bottled, mountain or filtered water, the temperature of which should not be more than 80-85 degrees to brew oolong.

If it is hot, you can lose not only aromatic qualities, but also all the useful trace elements that the product is endowed with.

With lower temperatures, it will take longer to brew the infusion.

Preparation steps

1. Pour 1 teaspoon of oolong into the kettle. Please note that when brewed, the leaves will gradually open, increasing in volume, so you should not pour too much of them.
2. The leaves are poured and left for 20-30 seconds, after which the first infusion must be drained. This is necessary for flushing, as well as for the manifestation of a special taste and unique smell.
3. After that, the tea itself is already brewed, which is later poured into a cup or bowl. Note that 1 ml of water will be required to 200 a teaspoon of dry product. As for how much oolong is brewed, the holding time of the infusion increases depending on the type of strait: for example, the first strait is only 15/20 seconds, and the second is 2 times longer & ndash; 30/40, while the third will be already 60. If your oolong can withstand up to 4-5 spills, then the infusion time of 4 and 5 infusions is 2-3 minutes. Do not overexpose the brew, as the smell may deteriorate and unpleasant bitterness may appear.

As you can see, this procedure is very simple. Even if you are completely immersed in the process and perform every action slowly (as required by a real tea ceremony), you will not spend much time preparing a drink.

If done correctly, light, poorly fermented varieties turn a pleasant yellow color with a slight greenish tint. When using dark oolongs, we get a rich infusion of excellent amber color.

Note that this type of tea should be drunk without sugar, lemon and other additives. Its taste and smell are so self-sufficient that unnecessary additions, firstly, are simply not needed, and secondly, they will prevent you from enjoying unsurpassed natural taste and aromatic qualities.

Effects on the body

Oolong has a very positive impact.

It is recommended to take it in the morning, as it energizes and gives a surge of strength. Although, due to the creamy taste, many prefer to use this tea in the evening to relax, feel cozy, calm, peace after a difficult, hectic day.

There is no harm from the drink in the evening, but, nevertheless, it is better to drink it at least 2-3 hours before bedtime.

Oolong is drunk in both winter and summer. In cold weather, it warms, and in the heat, & ndash; quenches thirst well.

Product Chemistry

All subspecies of oolong are considered real record holders for the content of valuable essential oils, represented by aldehydes, phenols and complex acids, which appear in the tea leaf after the raw materials can be processed, but in fresh leaves the percentage of essential oil is minimal.

The brew contains a fairly large amount of thein, which has an invigorating effect. Thanks to this element, oolong replaces coffee for many people.

The drink contains a huge amount of vitamins of the groups PP, B, C, D, E, K, P. Also in the oolong are antioxidants, magnesium, zinc, iron, fluorine, amino acids, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, calcium and selenium.

You can hear that the flavors involved negatively affect the properties of all micro- and macronutrients, but this is not the case. Leaf aromatization occurs with specially designed and completely safe additives, as a result of which the quality of the product will not be lost.

What's useful

Due to this extensive chemical composition, oolong has an incredibly beneficial effect on the human body. People who regularly drink this drink note the following improvements:

• vessel wall reinforcement;
• blood pressure equalization;
• Normalization of blood cholesterol;
• recuperation;
• normalization of metabolism and improvement of the intestinal and gastric tract;
• prevention of heart disease;
• elimination of harmful substances from the body;
• Boost your mood, increase brain activity, get rid of negative emotions, apathy, anxiety and stress.
• skin improvement;
• elimination of stomach heaviness after fatty foods.

In addition, scientists have conducted numerous studies that have shown that regular tea consumption increases blood levels of the adiponectin protein.

It works to prevent the onset and development of diabetes.

Being a good immunostimulant, oolong helps strengthen the body and prevents colds.

Due to its ability to eliminate slags and toxins, oolong is considered a very effective adjunct for weight loss. And the high content of antioxidants in tea helps to prolong the youth of the skin and the body as a whole.

In order to make the most of it, it is recommended to drink 1-2 cups a day exclusively of freshly brewed and quality drink.

Contraindications

1. Allergy sufferers should be very careful about eating any subspecies of oolong.
2. In the presence of diseases of the cardiovascular system, it is also impossible to abuse the drink, but a moderate amount (1-2 cups per day) will not harm.
3. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is not advisable to drink this infusion.
4. Stomach ulcers, gastritis, colitis, and regular migraines are also serious contraindications to eating oolong.

How to choose the right oolong to brew delicious green milk or tea without additives

In order for the drink to bring maximum pleasure and be able to give you all the useful elements, you need to choose only a high-quality, real Chinese product. Therefore, before buying, you should heed the recommendations compiled by tea market professionals.

1. Carefully examine the contents of the collection. Provided a quality product, each leaf resembles a well-twisted lump. Broken parts, twigs, grains should not be even when the leaf opens in water when brewing.
2. You can see a little shine on the surface of the fresh brew.
3. Appreciate the smell of tea. Natural pure Chinese oolong has a deep, pleasant floral aroma without impurities.
4. Traces of fermentation. When you unfold a soaked sheet, you will notice dark edges and green streaks in the center.
5. Cost. If the listed price is too low, you are offered a counterfeit that will contain many flavors with no benefit to your health.

If the oolong is really high quality, real, then it can be brewed at least 3-4 times.

And the best varieties can not lose their qualities until 18 water changes.

At the same time, each brewing reveals the taste and aroma of the drink in a new way & ndash; it becomes deeper, richer, more multifaceted.

How to store at home

How to make oolong tea & ndash; we learned, now a little about storage.

To preserve the taste and aroma of the product for as long as possible, you need to follow a few simple rules.

After opening the package, pour the brew into a clean container. It can be a jar or box made of porcelain, tin or glass. In this case, tin cans are considered the best option, since this material effectively prevents the penetration of the sun or moisture, is not prone to mechanical damage.

The container must be completely dry, sealed and free of foreign odors. Store tea in a cool (but not too cold) place where direct sunlight does not fall. At the same time, you should not choose a shelf near the stove, air conditioner or open windows, which can cause sudden temperature changes.

It is strongly discouraged to place strong smelling products (such as spices) near the brew, as the teabags absorb the surrounding aromas.

Let's summarize

Now you know how to cook oolong at home, and you can easily hold a real tea ceremony by enjoying a rich and truly delicious bouquet of this wonderful drink. Try different varieties of oolong, each of which will reveal its own, special, unique notes in taste.