Formosa Oolong Dung Ti tea

About 500 years ago tea developed in varieties other than green, when the OOLONG procedure of tea making was discovered in China. Due to intense manual labour required for producing OOLONG tea we can actually say it was manufactured. Tea leaves are hand-picked and repeatedly rolled, dried, heated and rolled again by hand. Because of their production method they are already partly oxidised, with degrees of oxidation ranging from 7% to 70%. Oolong tea falls between the green and black tea categories. Their antioxidant level is expressed by the colour: the greener they are, the closer to the green tea and its healing effects. The most complex method of oolong tea production was perfected in Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa, which makes their oolong teas most prestigious and appreciated, reaching the highest prices. They still go by the name “Formosa Oolong”.  FORMOSA OOLONG DUNG TI is probably the most famous and widespread oolong tea from Taiwan. It is grown on the mountain Dong Ding, which explains why the tea is somewhere marketed by this name. The mountain area has a colder and more humid climate with a lot of fog, which is perfect for tea bush cultivation. The tea has even, only partly oxidised leaves (10%-20%) that brew a clear liquor of amber colouring, sweet taste and rich aroma. We can drink it at any time during the day and it is a perfect refreshment in hot, summer days.   Oolong teas can be prepared similar to black teas, by pouring a cup of hot water over a teaspoon of tea, leaving it in for 4 to 5 minutes. The second method of preparation is only typical for Oolong tea: take two teaspoons or more of tea, pour over hot water, leave for a minute, and filter. Used tea leaves can be infused several times, but remember to use freshly boiled water, and each time prolong the time for a minute. Regardless of the preparation method, we drink oolong tea pure, without any additions.