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What is oolong tea?
Oolong is partially oxidized tea — the vast territory between green and black, where China's most celebrated teas live. The leaves are bruised so they oxidize only partway, then fixed, rolled and usually roasted. Chinese tea science splits the family in two: low-oxidation oolongs at 25–40% (South Fujian and Taiwan — the greener, ball-shaped style also called qing cha 青茶, "turquoise tea") and high-oxidation oolongs at 40–60% (Wuyi rock teas and Chaozhou teas from Guangdong), with the lightest Taiwanese high-mountain lots at just 15–25%.
What does oolong tea taste like?
No other tea family offers such range. Depending on oxidation level, cultivar, terroir and roast, oolong runs from light, floral and creamy to bold, mineral and roasted: a fresh Tie Guan Yin tastes of lilac and cream, while a well-fired Da Hong Pao brings dark chocolate, wet stone and baked fruit — from the same species of plant. Aroma, mouthfeel and aftertaste shift with every region and craftsman, which is exactly why people collect and compare oolongs the way others do wine.
What are the main types of oolong tea?
South Fujian oolongs (Tie Guan Yin)
Lightly oxidized, rolled into tight green pearls. Tie Guan Yin — the Iron Goddess of Mercy — is the famous one: floral, buttery, refreshing, an imperial tribute tea since 1736, with Xiping village holding the official title of its birthplace.
Wuyishan oolongs (Yancha)
Rock oolongs grow on the cliffs of the Wuyi mountains and are finished over charcoal embers — a patient bake at no more than 90°C, one to two hours per pass. Rou Gui, Shui Xian and Da Hong Pao are prized for mineral depth and a long, warming aftertaste. The original Da Hong Pao mother bushes still grow at Jiulongke, the "Nest of Nine Dragons", but harvesting them has been off-limits since 2006 — today's Da Hong Pao comes from their descendants.
Guangdong oolongs (Dan Cong)
"Single bush" teas from the Phoenix Mountains near Chaozhou: each old tree is picked and processed separately, never blended with its neighbours, and more than 3,000 of them are over a century old. Nearly a hundred aroma cultivars exist — honey orchid (Mi Lan Xiang, a variety with some 200 years of history), almond, ginger flower, apricot.
Taiwanese oolongs
Gaoshan means grown above 1000 m; on Lishan the plantations climb to 1200–2300 m, and that cool mountain air builds the creamy texture and alpine-flower aroma of teas like Alishan and Dong Ding. We also carry milky Jin Xuan, Oriental Beauty and aged, charcoal-roasted classics.
GABA oolongs
The youngest branch of the family: tea oxidized in an oxygen-free nitrogen chamber, a technology discovered by Japanese scientists in 1987 and perfected in Taiwan. The anaerobic process converts the leaf's glutamine into GABA — a calming neurotransmitter — reaching 150–300 mg per 100 g of finished tea, and leaves a signature taste of ripe fruit and berry compote.
Oolong types at a glance
| Family | Region | Oxidation | Roast | Signature taste | Try first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxi oolong | South Fujian | 25–40% | Light | Lilac, fresh cream | Tie Guan Yin |
| Wuyi rock oolong (Yan Cha) | Wuyi mountains, North Fujian | 40–60% | Charcoal, up to 90°C | Minerals, dark chocolate, baked fruit | Rou Gui |
| Dan Cong | Phoenix Mountains, Guangdong | 40–60% | Light to medium | Honey orchid, apricot, almond | Mi Lan Xiang |
| Taiwanese gaoshan | Taiwan, above 1000 m | 15–25% | None to light | Cream, alpine flowers | Alishan |
| GABA oolong | Taiwan | Anaerobic (nitrogen chamber) | Varies | Ripe fruit, berry compote | Any GABA from Nantou |
How to brew oolong tea
Oolong opens up best gongfu style: a small gaiwan or clay teapot, plenty of leaf, water at 95–100°C and many short infusions. A good high-mountain or rock oolong can be steeped 7 to 15 times, changing character with each brew. Western brewing works too: 1 teaspoon per cup, 3–4 minutes.
We taste and buy our oolongs directly at the farms every season. Orders ship from our Amsterdam warehouse across the Netherlands and Europe, and you can always taste before you buy at the Moychay tea club — Rozengracht 92H, Amsterdam.
Facts and figures in this guide are based on “Geography of Chinese Tea” by Sergey Shevelev, founder of Moychay — written after visiting every tea-producing province of China.
