JING Taiwanese Dong Ding Oolong Tea
We had hoped to find a new oolong tea on our sourcing trip to Fujian, China in the autumn of 2016. It is often the case, though, that we can taste hundreds of different varieties - resulting in the feeling of ‘cha zui’ – or 茶醉 - (drunk on tea) – and not find what we’re looking for.
It’s important to taste many teas to contextualise our final choice, and we do this either directly at origin, or by requesting samples from our farmers. We discovered our new Taiwanese Dong Ding Oolong through the latter process, in December, at a regular tasting session and were delighted to discover such a fantastic example of an oolong at such an accessible price, meaning that it's a fantastic tea for customers looking to try Oolong for the first time, or for an every day affordable tea.
History
Oolong tea originated in China (considered the true home of tea) thousands of years ago and is what the area of Wuyi is most famous for. In the 1800s, an oolong cultivar was transported to Dong Ding in Taiwan and, although its roots are in China, Taiwanese oolongs have come to be regarded highly in their own right. The traditional origin of Dong Ding is the area around Dong Ding village and one of Taiwan’s tallest mountains in Lugu Township, Nantou County. The name Dong Ding simply means ‘Frozen Peak’.
Sourcing
Our Dong Ding is sourced from a nearby mountain, and made in the style of traditional Dong Ding. It’s a rolled oolong with some oxidisation, and with medium to heavy roasting. Mr Chen, from the family ‘Chen Jia’ tea garden, has worked closely with us to roast to our specification, which errs on the lighter side of roasting; it’s just the way we prefer it and it helps to retain the lovely floral notes that this tea presents. Mr Chen sells all of his tea to a close relative in Mingjian Township, Nantou County, and the tea is roasted for us there.
Dong Ding Vital Statistics
Cultivar: Jinxuan Oolong
Tea Type: Oolong
Oxidisation Level: Medium-light
Country/Region: Taiwan | Dong Ding
Tea Garden: Chen Jia
Picked in: Spring (April 2016)
Roasted in: December 2016
How to make Oolong Tea | Dong Ding
We like to experiment with making oolong, in ways that are more traditional to China and Taiwan, or simply to find our own style. By all means, we’d encourage the same if you’re confident with tea, but to get the best results at home, simply follow the instructions below.
Weight
Measure 5-grams.
Temperature
Boil your kettle to 100° for oolong teas.
Water
250ml of filtered, softened water.
Infuse
For 3-minutes. This tea can be infused up to two times.
Some of our best Oolong Teas
Dong Ding
FOR THE NEWCOMER
Buttery, soft, floral
Sourced from the family tea garden at Chen Jia and then roasted, the characteristically broad and thick leaves lead to a sweet and smooth infusion. This Taiwanese Oolong Tea is sourced from the frozen peak of Bei Shan mountain.
Ali Shan
FOR THE EXPLORER
Floral, buttery, refreshing
Ali Shan is grown in the lofty heights of Taiwan's most-treasured national park. Ali Shan 'Mount Ali" Oolong teas are famous for their outstanding aroma and flavour. A true favourite at JING, our Ali Shan boasts fresh notes of spring flowers with depth of mango and apricot.
Oriental Beauty Supreme
FOR THE CONNOISSEUR
Sweet, fragrant, exciting
A truly exceptional example of an iconic Taiwanese oolong. The dry leaves display the classic '5 colour' characteristic of traditional Oriental Beauty, with rusty brown, matte black, caramel brown and light green leaf and downy silver tips.
