Brewing is the key to master the art of tea preparation. A perfect brew gives you the great-tasting cup of tea. To bless your buds with a scrumptious taste of Oolong Tea, all you need to know is the basic procedure of brewing this tea.

SOME BASIC INFO ABOUT OOLONG TEA

Oolong tea is made from the top two leaves and the unopened buds of the Camellia Sinensis plant. It is primarily grown in China and Taiwan and has gained popularity in the western world as people have discovered its wide flavor profile which makes each cup delicious.The manufacturing of Oolong tea has gradually started in India and Nepal. Oolong tea possesses the fragrance of green tea and smoothness of black tea and has its own unique category. The appearance, flavour, and shape of Oolong tea interestingly vary due to oxidation. The oxidation level varies from 8% to 80% depending on the production style of the tea master. One of the great advantages of Oolong tea is that it can be brewed more than once. Each brew is unique, your taste bud will delight in different flavours and discover new aroma with every cup.

LET'S BREW OUR CUPPA OF OOLONG TEA IN 4 SIMPLE STEPS

STEP 1

Take 200ml of water and heat it at about 85-90 degree Celsius. The quality of water and temperature plays a vital role in steeping. If the water is too hot, it will disrupt the taste of tea as it overcooks the leaves and fails to extract all the flavours out of the tea.

In order to get the right temperature, you can use kitchen thermometer or an electric kettle with a temperature setting. If such types of equipment are not available you can always opt the basic technique, i.e. boil the water and let it cool down for a minute.

Reminder: Always try to use mineral water, tap water, spring water or fresh water. Do not reheat already boiled water as it results in the loss of oxygen content. It is highly advisable not to use distilled water as it will lead to a flat tasting cup of tea.

STEP 2

Put 2.5 grams of tea leaves in an empty cup. Oolong teas are traditionally rolled, twisted or curled into tight balls or thin strands. So the number of teaspoons that make up 2.5 grams will vary from tea to tea. If you don’t have a weighing scale, you can adjust it according to your liking. But try to ensure the amount of quantity is not overmuch or else it might affect the taste of tea.

Reminder: the proper ratio of tea and water is very important for brewing the best cup of tea.

STEP 3

Pour the hot water in the cup and cover it. Let it steep approximately for 4-5 minutes. You can steep it according to the requirement of your taste. The exact amount of time required for steeping varies depending on the shape and size of the leaves. It’s better to allow leaves to steep for 1 minute and then taste every 30 seconds to get the best flavour according to your preferences.

Reminder: Pay attention to the changing flavour with every steep. Once the strength of the tea no longer comes through, the leaves have been fully extracted.

STEP 4

Strain and pour it into the cup and enjoy! Depending on the number of cups you wish to prepare, you can either steep in a cup or a kettle.

TIPS

For every additional cup, you need to increase the steeping time. It is certain that with each new steeping the tea produces a different flavour. Re-brewing of Oolong tea depends on the quality of tea, only high quality oolong tea are certain to give out unique flavours with each steep.

Remove the leaves from the tea before serving.

Store your Oolong tea in an airtight container preferably made of aluminium or glass to preserve its freshness.

Just tell your loved one, can’t we just get Oolong and add a flavour to our conversation!

Visit this link to know about different types of Oolong tea. Get Oolong with us!