What is an Oolong tea?

Transforming Oolong is an art that requires great expertise.

It comprises several essential stages:

• Harvesting: The tea leaves are picked by hand, usually in the morning, to preserve their freshness and aromatic potential.

• Withering: Once harvested, the leaves are laid out on the upper floor of the tea factory, or generally in well-ventilated areas, for several hours. This step removes some of the moisture and prepares the leaves for oxidation.

• Oxidation: This is where all the specificity of Oolong lies. The leaves are placed in a warm, humid atmosphere that promotes oxidation. The artisan carefully monitors this process, regularly stirring the leaves to distribute the oxidation evenly.
• Fixing: Once the oxidation is judged optimal, the leaves are heated rapidly in large rotating drums to stop the process and lock in the aromas.
• Rolling: The leaves are then worked to give them their final shape. Some varieties are rolled into pearls, like nunshen’s new Oolongs, while others take a more open form.

To roll nunshen’s Taiwanese Oolong teas into pearls, the tea leaf is placed in a cloth bundle that is turned for a certain time. This bundle is repeatedly reopened to turn the leaf so that it curls tightly on itself.

• Drying and roasting: Finally, the leaves are dried at low temperature, and sometimes roasted, which adds woody, toasted or caramelised notes.