Oolong tea, one of the six major types of tea in China, is a semi-fermented tea that falls between black and green tea. Depending on the region of origin, oolong tea can be further divided into Minbei oolong, Minnan oolong, Guangdong oolong, and Taiwan oolong.
Minbei oolong, primarily produced in the northern part of Fujian province in areas such as Wuyi Mountain, Jian’ou, Jianyang, and Shuiji, is best represented by Wuyi rock tea. Originating from the ‘most beautiful in the southeast’ Wuyi Mountain in northern Fujian, Wuyi rock tea is renowned for its unique ‘rock bone and floral fragrance’ and is considered a top-grade oolong tea in China. Wuyi rock tea is categorized into Zhengyan, Banyan, and Zhoucha based on the tea-producing locations, with main varieties including Wuyi Narcissus, Wuyi Cinnamon, Da Hong Pao, Bai Jiguan, Tie Luohan, and Shui Jin Gui.
Minnan oolong, mainly produced in the southern part of Fujian province in places like Anxi, Yongchun, Nan’an, and Tong’an, is represented by teas such as Tie Guan Yin, Zhangping Narcissus, and Yongchun Buddha’s Hand. Tie Guan Yin, both the name of the tea and the tea plant variety, originally comes from Xiping Town, Anxi County, Quanzhou City, Fujian, and has spread to oolong tea regions in Minnan, Minbei, Guangdong, and Taiwan. Tie Guan Yin is typically picked when the new shoots are mature with 2-3 leaves, commonly referred to as ‘kai mian cai’. Based on fermentation levels and production processes, it can be divided into three major categories: light fragrance, strong fragrance, and aged fragrance.
Guangdong oolong, primarily produced in the eastern Guangdong region such as Chao’an, Raoping, Fengshun, Jiaoling, and Pingyuan, is represented by teas like Fenghuang Dancong and Lingtou Dancong. Fenghuang Dancong, mainly produced in Chao’an District, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province, is named after the local Fenghuang Mountain and became a national geographical indication product in 2010. to According ‘Chaozhou Fenghuang Tea Plant Resources’, Fenghuang Dancong has a rich variety of aromas, including 79 natural floral types, 12 natural fruity fragrances, and 16 other light fragrances.
Taiwan oolong, originating from Fujian and with a history of over two hundred years, is represented by teas such as Oriental Beauty, Dongding Oolong, and Dayuling Oolong. Dongding Oolong comes from Dongding Mountain in Zhangya Village, Lugu Township, Nantou County, Taiwan, and is known as ‘the northern Wenshan, the southern Dongding’. Dongding Oolong tea leaves are curled and semi-spherical with a dark green and oily appearance; when brewed, the tea soup is clear, honey-yellow in color, with a floral aroma slightly tinged with caramel, and a sweet, rich taste.
