Brewing Oolong Tea

For the best tasting tea, always start with high quality oolong tea. This is the first key to a great final result. Because there is such a difference in the oolong varieties, you cannot brew every oolong tea the same way. The water temperature and steeping times will vary. In general, the darker oolongs need boiling water and are steeped longer than lighter oolongs. It is also recommended that you use a clay teapot. A good clay teapot has properties that enable it to absorb the tea flavors. The flavors are then released into the next pot of tea. Good quality water is also important. Be sure the water is fresh, filtered or bottled. The quality of the water is another key to an excellent cup of oolong tea.

Oolong tea is thick and coarse and requires very hot water to open the leaves and let the flavor out. So, boil the water. After the water boils, give it a few seconds to cool and then pour over the tea leaves. As it is brewed, the leaves expand; be sure the teapot has room inside for the leaves to fully open. The brewing of the tea is actually a two step process. The first brew should be a small amount of water poured over the tea leaves. This first brew should be thrown out - it is much too bitter to drink! Now, the oolong tea leaves have opened up and you can proceed with the second brew. Depending on your personal taste, the oolong tea should be infused for one to three minutes. You will need to experiment with the timing and temperature until you discover your perfect taste.

All teas can hold multiple infusions but oolong tea maintains full flavor into at least the third infusion. This is another opportunity to experiment with oolong. You can try different water temperatures, various steeping times and experiment with how many infusions continue to provide great taste.

Using high quality oolong tea also gives you the advantage of a great cup of tea even if you're brewing technique and process was less than perfect. High quality oolong is more reliable and, therefore, more forgiving of our lack of skill in brewing this wonderful beverage. You can expect different flavors and a new taste with every pot your brew.