Oolong tea has always been popular with the public, but many people are not sure about the production area of ​​their favorite oolong tea species. Want to know what are the four major production areas of oolong? What are the characteristics of these four places? Let’s watch it together!

 

What are the four major origins of oolong? What are the common varieties of oolongs in each region?

Generally speaking, the oolong tea series is divided into the four major producing areas of Guangdong, Taiwan, southern Fujian and northern Fujian. The Phoenix Dancong and Dongding Oolongs we often mention are the more common Oolong varieties in Guangdong and Taiwan, while Tieguanyin and Dahongpao, which are more familiar to Hong Kong people, are representatives of southern and northern Fujian oolongs respectively. Although they are all oolong teas, the geographical environment, climate and other natural factors vary from place to place, so the oolongs in the four places have different characteristics and charms. The following will introduce the oolongs of these four places and their unique features.

 

Guangdong Oolong | Fenghuang Dancong is the favorite among Kung Fu tea lovers

The production areas of Guangdong Oolong are mainly in eastern Guangdong. The tea area located in Fenghuang Mountain in Chaoshan has always been the most important production area of ​​Fenghuang Dancong. Guangdong Oolong is also the most famous of Chaoshan Fenghuang Dancong. The older generation of Chaoshan tea People even feel better after brewing a pot of Dancong every day. Therefore, when it comes to Guangdong Oolong, many people think that its representative tea is none other than Fenghuang Dancong.

 

The shape of Fenghuang Dancong is a cord-shaped tea leaf, which is straight and compact. The leaf body is generally fat and the color is shiny and uniform. The tea leaves from a good quality single bush will remain intact after steeping.

 

The biggest feature of Fenghuang Dancongshui is its numerous fragrance types. There are 18 types of tea fragrances recorded in historical books, and each fragrance has its own characteristics. The reason why these aromas can appear is not only due to the tea tree varieties, but also the tea making process will help form the tea aroma. Generally speaking, Dancongs with a lower degree of fermentation and roasting will have a more pronounced floral aroma, while heavier ones will emit a honey-fruit aroma. Among them, the more commonly heard single-cong fragrance types include silver flower fragrance (formerly called "duck shit fragrance"), zhilan fragrance, honey orchid fragrance, etc.

 

Another characteristic of Fenghuang Dancong is the tea flavor and throat rhyme. High-quality Phoenix Dancong not only has a high aroma, but also has a sweet aftertaste, and the tea quality is smooth and has a high level of texture. After the tea soup enters the throat, the tongue will taste the unique slight bitterness of Fenghuang Dancong, and then the throat will feel the sweetness. Therefore, many tea drinkers who are obsessed with aroma or throat notes will be fascinated by Fenghuang Dancong.

 

In addition to Fenghuang Dancong, there are actually other tea varieties in Guangdong Oolong. Chaoan Shiguping Oolong and Raoping Lingtou Dancong are also well-known teas.

(High-quality Phoenix Dancong has a high aroma, with a sweet aftertaste, a smooth tea texture, and a high level of texture. You will feel the sweetness in your throat afterward.)

 

Taiwan Oolong | Tea drinkers in the 1980s sought after frozen top oolong

Taiwan is dotted with oolong tea regions from north to south, and many people are familiar with the northern Muzha Tieguanyin, Oriental Beauty Tea or High Mountain Oolong. But the tea product that became popular among tea drinkers in Hong Kong and Taiwan in the 1980s was Lugu Dongding Oolong.

 

Dongding Oolong is hemispherical, with a complete appearance, dark green color with an oily feel, and uniform particle size, but it is usually a bit larger than other hemispherical Oolongs. After brewing, you will see the fermentation characteristics of "green leaves with red edges" on the bottom of the leaves.

 

The tea making process in the last century was characterized by heavy fermentation and roasting, resulting in a rich and mellow aroma. However, due to the popularity of high mountain oolongs, Taiwanese people's tastes changed to light-flavor oolongs. Therefore, the baking and fermentation of frozen oolongs was reduced, and the taste was also reduced. Relatively bland. Although the current Dongding Oolong is not as strong and rich as the traditional Dongding Oolong, it highlights the floral aroma in the tea, which is a different flavor.

 

Dongding Oolong made using traditional tea-making processes is called Hongshui Oolong. Its characteristic is that its overall advantages are relatively comprehensive, and its aroma, tea flavor and throat notes are all well expressed. Hongshui Oolong focuses on heavy fermentation and roasting. The feeling is thick and the aroma is rich. When you smell it carefully, you can taste the aroma of high-roasted charcoal wood.

 

Different from southern Fujian oolong, the traditional red water oolong retains an appropriate amount of tea stems when picking. These tea stems make the tea soup more sweet, the tea taste is mellow, the taste is rich, and it is sweet and mellow in the throat with a lingering aftertaste. Red water oolong with good tea quality has high brewing resistance. It can basically be brewed for more than 8 times under the standard amount of tea, water and temperature. The taste will change differently with the number of brewing times.

( Traditional red water oolongs retain an appropriate amount of tea stems when picking. The tea stems make the tea soup more sweet, sweet and mellow in the throat, and have a lingering aftertaste. )

Southern Fujian Oolong | Everyone knows about Anxi Tieguanyin

When you think of Southern Fujian Oolong, you may not be able to think of the type of tea in it for a moment, but when you think of Tieguanyin, I believe everyone will suddenly have a bright idea. Southern Fujian Oolong is mainly distributed in Anxi, Yongchun, Nan'an, Tong'an and other places in southern Fujian, producing Tieguanyin, Hairy Crab, Benshan and other tea products. Among them, Anxi Tieguanyin is the most well-known and can be said to be the representative of Southern Fujian Oolong.

 

Anxi Tieguanyin is divided into two levels: light fragrance and strong fragrance. The degree of fermentation and roasting of the light-flavor Tieguanyin is relatively low, so the tea aroma is lighter and the taste is lighter. The overall taste of the tea soup is sweet and refreshing. The strong-flavor Tieguanyin uses heavier fermentation and baking to present a unique Guanyin charm. The aroma of Tieguanyin is mellow and sweet, with a thick tea flavor and a strong honey aroma. Also because of sufficient fermentation, the fragrant Tieguanyin contains substances such as theaflavins and thearubigins, so its stomach-warming effect is also the reason why many people drink this tea.

 

The dried leaves of Tieguanyin and Dongding Oolong are both hemispherical in shape. Relatively speaking, the former is a little smaller than the latter, and the reason is the tea stem. In the process of making Tieguanyin tea, the tea stems need to be picked out, so when it is rolled and formed, it will be smaller than Dongding Oolong. After soaking, the tea base will be looser and the sweetness will be relatively less.

(The degree of fermentation and roasting of the light-flavor Tieguanyin is lower, the tea aroma is lighter, the taste is also lighter, and the overall taste is sweet and refreshing.)

 

Northern Fujian Oolong | Wuyi rock tea is the mainstream

The origins of Northern Fujian Oolong include Chong'an, Jian'ou, Jianyang and other places. The Dahongpao and Rock Tea that many Hong Kong people know are both a type of Northern Fujian Oolong. They are produced in the Wuyi Mountain Tea Area, and are also produced in the same production area. There are tea varieties such as narcissus, cinnamon, etc. Among them, Dahongpao, Iron Arhat, White Cockscomb, and Water Scarab are listed as the "Four Famous Cong".

 

Wuyi rock tea focuses on baking techniques, and the unique charm and tea flavor of rock tea can be fully expressed through appropriate baking. Properly roasted, high-quality rock tea can taste rich flavor and floral aroma, which is often referred to as "rock bone flower aroma" among tea drinkers.

 

If compared with Southern Fujian Oolong, the characteristic of Southern Fujian Oolong is fragrance, while the characteristic of Northern Fujian Oolong is alcohol. The aroma of rock tea is rich and long-lasting, and the mouthfeel is thick and has a unique rock charm. It flows quickly in the mouth, and the sweetness and long-lasting taste are relatively masculine.
However, it should be noted that rock tea is divided into three categories: Zhengyan, Banyan and Zhoucha. Among them, the rock tea from Zhengyan is the most precious and is also in relatively small quantities. Therefore, you should pay attention to the authenticity when purchasing Zhengyan rock tea.

 

(Dahongpao is produced in the Wuyishan tea area, among which Dahongpao, Iron Arhat, White Cockscomb, and Water Scarab are listed as the "Four Famous Congs". There are also tea varieties such as Narcissus and Cinnamon in the same production area.)

The above is the introduction of the four places and their respective characteristics. All kinds of oolongs have different personalities and charms. The more you know about them, the more you can appreciate their advantages when tasting tea. After all, good tea needs to be understood by close friends!

 

 

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