How to brew oolong tea like a connoisseur
What is Jin Xuan Oolong Tea?
Jin Xuan Oolong Tea, also known as Jin Xuan Oolong (or Golden Lily), is a new tea variety developed by the Taiwanese in 1980 from the finest classic Oolong cultivars brought over from China, and is the eldest sister of the “The Three Daughters of Taiwan” family.
Famous for its distinctive flavour – its “milky aroma” – which gives the tea a special creamy taste. It shows a deep golden-green colour in the cup, and the smooth buttery flavour in the mouth has become a hallmark of Taiwanese tea legend.
Brewing steps for the professional tea drinker:
– Step 1: Prepare the necessary utensils: teapot, tea cups, tea pitcher, tea strainer…; the tea ware must be perfectly clean and pure, use a clay or ceramic/porcelain teapot, never a metal teapot for brewing tea
– Step 2: Pour boiling water into the teapot, up to 70% full, to warm the pot, then pour it out after 20 seconds
– Step 3: Put the Jin Xuan Oolong Tea into the teapot (use a bamboo or wooden tea scoop, never your hands or a metal spoon to scoop the tea), in an amount to suit your taste; the usual ratio is 1 gram of tea to 20 ml of water.
– Step 4: Pour boiling water into the teapot (about 50% full), swirl the pot, then pour this rinsing water into the tea pitcher. The purpose of this step is to awaken the tea leaves, and it should be done quickly (under about 7 seconds); after pouring the water off, leave the teapot to rest for about 15 seconds so the tea absorbs the moisture, and during this time use the rinsing water in the tea pitcher to warm the drinking cups
– Step 5: Steeping the tea: fill the pot with boiling water and put the lid on (pour a little more than the brim so the water overflows, and when you put the lid on it overflows once again). Keep pouring boiling water around the pot to steep the tea for 30 seconds on the first infusion (this infusion is called the aroma infusion – mainly for enjoying the tea's fragrance); keep the steeping time for Jin Xuan Oolong Tea at 20 to 30 seconds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th infusions, and it may be increased a little for subsequent infusions (this can be adjusted according to your taste and experience)
– Step 6: Pour the tea out into the tea pitcher (use a strainer to catch the small tea particles and keep the liquor clear and pure), then from the tea pitcher divide the tea among the drinking cups to serve to your guests
When enjoying Jin Xuan Oolong Tea, first smell the fragrance in the cup, look at the rich golden colour of the liquor, then drink sip by sip to savour the pleasure of drinking Oolong tea. For the first sip, take only a small sip on the tip of the tongue to smell the tea's aroma; breathe out and take a second, larger sip – nearly the whole cup – so the tea fills the mouth, swallow it and then breathe out so the aroma of the tea runs back up through the nose and you can take in the full flavour of the tea; with a small third sip finish the remaining tea to check the taste and the aftertaste; after drinking, the fragrance lingers in the mouth and the taste stays on and on.
The above is the professional way to brew Jin Xuan Oolong Tea; we hope it helps you enjoy a better cup of tea. For buying Jin Xuan Oolong Tea as well as other kinds of Oolong tea.