All about the famous Taiwanese Dong Ding Oolong
Dong Ding tea is traditionally made from the Green Heart Cultivar by picking one half-opened leaf with a second fully opened leaf. Due to the thickness of the Green Heart Cultivar, the leaves can last for several steeps. The leaves are oxidized about 25-35% and rolled into a ball. The tea is then roasted over longan charcoal wood several times with rests in between.
Dong Ding Oolong is known for its strong throat feel and is brewed to optimize this characteristic. A good Dong Ding should be sweet, pure, smooth, thick, and fragrant. Many farmers accelerate the process to create a ‘greener’ Dong Ding which requires significantly less labor and is often more preferred in China (since it is greener).
By allowing aphids to bite the leaves and promptly picking before it rains, the tea leaves will have an extra honeyed aroma and flavor. However, this also reduces the overall yield, decreasing supply and increasing price. The use of pesticides will prevent these bug bites, which is why the highest quality Dong Ding teas are always organic.
For pictures of the process, including a 100-year old tea tree, check out our instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/leafygreen_tea/?hl=en
Generally teas from the green heart cultivar are thick with leather like texture and sheen. The leaves are packed with flavour, which allows multiple steeps without loosing it’s flavor.
Additionally, true Dong Ding oolongs have very little (or no) bitterness and astringency, creating a delicious brew. Spring harvests tend to be a bit more ‘bright’ in flavor, whereas winter harvests have a more ‘mellow’ sweetness.
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