Brewing Instructions

Water Temperature:  194-203 degrees
Water Quality:  Best with Spring Water
Amount of Leaf (per 3 fl oz water):  2 rounded Tbl. (5 grams)
Steep Time:  20 seconds to 1 minute
Number of Infusions: 10

Oolong tea is best brewed gongfu style using an earthenware Yixing pot or a lidded gaiwan using a high leaf to water ratio. We recommend using 5 grams (approximately 3 rounded Tbl.) per 5 ounces of water. Bring the water to approximately 195 degrees--just below the boiling point. (We recommend using water at 194 F (90 C) for longer durations and 203 F (95 C) for shorter durations.) Put the tea into a pre-warmed pot or gaiwan and pour the water directly over the tea leaves. After about 10 seconds pour out and discard the first infusion and refill the pot. Steep for approximately 20 seconds to 1 minute. If using a pot with a mesh infuser, remove the leaves and set aside for the second infusion. If using a pot without an infuser, decant the tea into a serving pitcher or directly into the cups, but do not leave the leaves in the water. We strongly encourage our customers to use teapots with large mesh infusers to allow the leaves to fully expand in the water. The infuser can then be removed after the preferred steeping time and then re-used for subsequent infusions. Failing that, we recommend decanting the tea into a clean warm pot or serving pitcher. This tea can be infused as many as 10 times increasing temperature and steeping time with each infusion. This tea is too good to waste!

Our Chinese Sacred Lily Oolong is a great tea for experimenting with various gongfu techniques for different taste effects.