Oolong Tea

The Alishan National Scenic Area is a mountain resort and natural preserve located in the mountains of Jiayi County in Taiwan. It is 415 km in area. It includes, among other things, mountain wilderness, four villages, waterfalls, high altitude tea plantations, the Alishan Forest Railway and several hiking trails. The area is popular among tourists and mountain climbers, and Alishan or Mount Ali itself has become one of the major landmarks associated with Taiwan. The area is also famous for its production of high mountain tea and wasabi.

Alishan was developed in the early 1980s to produce alpine teas. The tea produced at elevations between 800-1,600 meters has a gentle and deep flavor. The entire area has been designated as a quasi-national park for its scenic beauty. It is also famous for its mountain railway, and as the source of fine timber.

The Alishan Oolong is a high mountain oolong tea from Formosa. It is lightly oxidized, it has a wonderfully creamy texture and rich taste with a delicate sweetness. Excellent clarity, the tea is pale greenish yellow with a floral taste, brisk aftertaste, and faint sweet aroma, this tea taste as it is scented with orchid.

Brewing

Generally, 2.25 grams of tea per 170 grams of water, or about two teaspoons per cup, should be used. The tea should be prepared with 95°C -- 100°C water and steeped 3-4 minutes.

About Oolong Tea

Introduction and History
Oolong (Chinesewlng) is a traditional Chinese tea somewhere between green and black in oxidation. It ranges from 10% to 70% oxidation. How the fresh leaves of the tea plant are processed and their level of contact with oxygen determine resulting types of tea(green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea, pu erh tea and so on). The production of Oolong tea began from the end of Ming dynasty ( about the year 1600 ) in China.

In Chinese tea culture, semi-oxidized oolong teas are collectively grouped as qngch (Chinese: ; literally "blue-green tea").

Oolong tea lacks the rosy, sweet aroma of black tea but it likewise does not have the stridently grassy vegetal notes that typify green tea. It is commonly brewed to be strong, delivering a strong fragrance and leaving a sweet aftertaste. Several subvarieties of oolong, including those produced in the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian and in the central mountains of Taiwan, are among the most famous Chinese teas.

Processing

Oolong tea leaves are processed in two different ways. Some teas are rolled into long curly leaves, while some are pressed into a ball-like form.

Oolong tea undergoes a few delicate processes in order to produce the unique aroma and taste. Typical Oolong tea is processed

according to the following steps:

Wilting,
Cooling,
Shaking, ( Cooling and Shaking are repeated multiple times)
Frying,
Kneading,
Roasting,
Grading,
Packaging

Highly aromatic and flavorful, oolong teas offer deep, rich flavor notes. Ti Kuan Yin, Huang Jin Gui, Da Hong Pao, Phoenix Dan Cong teas, Tie Luo Han, Rou Gui are some of the best styles of oolong teas.

Healthy Benefits:
Oolong Tea is helpful in weight loss, dieting, antiaging, bringing high blood pressure down, improving immune competence, anti-heart-disease, prolonging lifespan, metabolic stimulating attributes, etc.