The flavor spreads in the mouth
Dong Ding Oolong tea is one of the most popular types of Oolong tea in Taiwan.
Nowadays there are very large ratio of Dong Ding Oolong teas made outside of Dong Ding Mountain, but HOJO's Dong Ding Oolong tea is grown on Dong Ding Mountain and is made from the 1st pluck of spring.
Deep Fired Dong Ding Oolong is a traditional type that is carefully roasted to enhance dry-fruity flavor
The secret to its deliciousness is being grown on Dong Ding Mountain
Most Dong Ding Oolong teas in Taiwan are made outside of Dong Ding Mountain, but HOJO's Dong Ding Oolong tea is grown on Dong Ding Mountain and is made from the 1st plucked spring tea.
Economic efficiency of brewing up to 6 times
When brewed in a small teapot (200-250cc), you can enjoy the tea more than 6 times.
In other words, you can brew about 1 liter of tea from a lightly heaped tablespoon of tea leaves. This is the economic efficiency of premium tea.
History and culture of Dong Ding Oolong tea
Dong Ding is the name of a mountain in Lugu, Nantou County, Taiwan. It is said that the mountain was named "Dong Ding" because people climbed to the top with their toes frozen due to the slippery mountain trail.
About 150 years ago, Oolong tea from Wuyi, Fujian Province, China, began to be cultivated on Dong Ding Mountain.
Initially, Dong Ding Oolong tea was the name for Oolong tea produced around Dong Ding Mountain, but as its reputation grew, tea grown in other regions also began to be called by the same name.
In recent years, tea grown at lower altitudes has been roasted more strongly to impart a roasted flavor and exported overseas as Dong Ding Oolong tea.
Production area
The tea leaves are produced in Dong Ding Mountain in Nantou County, Taiwan. As the reputation of Dong Ding Oolong tea has grown, general high mountain tea is also sometimes roasted to be sold under the name of Dong Ding Oolong tea.
Dong Ding Mountain
Dong Ding Mountain is mostly covered in fog in the afternoon
However, we insist on authentic Dong Ding Oolong tea and seek it from Dong Ding Mountain. Dong Ding Mountain is one of Taiwan's leading tea-producing areas, and the secret to its unique delicious tea lies in its location.
Dong Ding Mountain is not a high mountain, with an elevation of about 1000m. The environment of Dong Ding Mountain is not very comfortable for tea in terms of sunlight, soil quality, and environment.
The unique soil of Dong Ding Mountain is reflected in the taste. A 2003 study at National Taiwan University by Yue-Ming Chen found that tea garden soil in Lugu, home of Dong Ding Mountain, holds more calcium and other alkaline minerals (exchangeable bases) than tea garden soil in lower-lying Yangmei. The tea garden soil in Lugu is rich in these alkaline minerals. We believe they are the reason for the tea's broad flavor, very bold taste and strong body. The clear difference in taste from the surrounding growing areas probably also comes from this soil.
Cultivation varieties and harvesting
HOJO's Dong Ding Oolong tea is made from a cultivar called Qingxin Oolong. The tea made from this cultivar is characterized by a refreshing taste and a noble aroma.
As shown in the photo, the leaves are more greenish-yellow than green, and the growth condition is not very good. However, these slow-growing leaves produce delicious tea.
Tea garden of Qingxin Oolong variety
Tea leaves of Qingxin Oolong variety used to produce Dong Ding Oolong tea
Processing steps of Deep Fired Dong Ding Oolong
The production of Deep Fired Dong Ding Oolong involves the following steps:
- Sun Withering
- Indoor Withering - Fermentation
- Rolling
- Deep Firing
Below are the explanations of each process.
Sun Withering
After harvesting, the tea leaves are spread out on the ground under the sun to wither. This process is called sun withering. Usually, withering is done on cloudy days to avoid sun damage to the tea leaves.
If the weather is good and the sunlight is strong, a cover is stretched several meters above the ground to soften the sunlight. Sun withering allows the moisture in the tea leaves to evaporate and fermentation to begin gradually.
The tea leaves gradually soften and start to emit a fresh aroma.
Indoor Withering - Fermentation
The fermentation of Oolong tea is very different from that of black tea. The tea leaves that have completed sun withering are brought indoors and spread out on sheets.
For tea leaves with high moisture content, the thickness of the tea leaves is reduced to speed up the evaporation of moisture. Next, the tea leaves are spread out on bamboo trays. Spreading them out on trays promotes fermentation, and the tea leaves are repeatedly lifted and dropped into the tilted trays and left to ferment.
Then, the tea leaves are stirred in bamboo drums. By lifting and dropping the tea leaves repeatedly, the edges are gradually bruised, and enzymatic fermentation progresses.
When fermentation progresses sufficiently, the tea leaves emit a sweet, floral aroma. The tea leaves processed by skilled craftsmen have only the edges turned red.
This indicates that only the edges of the tea leaves are bruised and partially fermented, clearly different from low-quality tea leaves with uneven red discoloration.
The fermented tea leaves are heated to inactivate the enzymes and stop the fermentation. If the fermentation is not stopped promptly, the tea leaves will continue to ferment and taste more like black tea.
The number of times the tea leaves are stirred, and the resting time is determined based on the moisture content, aroma, and color of the tea leaves.
This delicate timing is determined by the craftsmen's experience, which greatly affects the quality of Oolong tea. The craftsmen work under the direction of the "master."
The quality of Oolong tea is greatly influenced by the skill of the master. To consistently obtain excellent quality, it is essential to work with a skilled master.
Rolling
At this point, the tea leaves already have the flavor of Oolong tea. However, because the cells of the tea leaves are intact except for the edges, the flavor and aroma cannot be fully extracted when brewing the tea.
On the other hand, if the tea leaves are rolled with high pressure like in black tea production, it causes (1) unwanted bitterness to dissolve into the tea.
(2) Additionally, as the components are excessively exposed to the air, non-enzymatic oxidation (oxidation without enzymatic fermentation) progresses, changing the flavor and aroma.
To solve these dilemmas, the method used in the production of Oolong tea is called "bag-rolling." Bag-rolling is a process of rolling after wrapping the tea leaves.
The tea leaves are put into a cloth bag while still warm and soft. Each time, 10-20kg of tea leaves are wrapped in a bag and rolled into the size of a basketball.
Today, the ends of the bag are tightly twisted by machine. By twisting the bag tightly, the bag is compressed, and the tea leaves are strongly pressed.
Next, the ball-shaped tea leaves are placed in a disc-shaped device. There are discs above and below, and the ball of tea leaves is sandwiched between two plates. The upper disc is fixed and does not move, while the lower disc rotates.
The ball of tea leaves is rolled while rotating. After rolling for a while, the tea leaves are gently heated again. If the tea leaves cool down, they become hard and break, so they are periodically heated to keep them soft.
The tea leaves gradually become firm and shaped into a ball. The higher the quality of the tea leaves, the firmer they are and the heavier they feel.
High-quality tea leaves also have a glossy surface due to the hardened extract from the tea leaves. This series of processes is repeated many times.
The number of times and methods of rolling, and the way of heating vary depending on the condition of the tea leaves. For example, tea leaves harvested from tea gardens with relatively low nutrients and water content contain relatively low moisture.
If these tea leaves are rolled in the same way, the lack of moisture may cause the tea leaves to crack or discolor due to heating.
It is important to change the conditions of the series of processes in a timely manner, considering the condition of the tea leaves, the weather of the day, and various other factors. This is the skill of the "master."
The rolled tea leaves are dried in a dryer, reducing the moisture content to below 5%, and are completed.
Deep Firing
As the name suggests, it is a process of firing with charcoal. By roasting the tea leaves, the roasted aroma is enhanced, and the shelf life is also improved.
The tea leaves that have been fired have their main components, polyphenols, and tannins, further oxidized, generating volatile components. These volatile components are the main part of the roasted aroma characteristic of Deep Fired Dong Ding Oolong.
References
Chen, Y.M. (2003) 在不同海拔高度下三種茶樹品種之根圈及本體土壤物理化學特性. Master's thesis, Graduate Institute of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University (advisor: Wang, M.K.)
Chen, Y.M., Wang, M.K., Zhuang, S.Y., Chiang, P.N. (2006) Chemical and physical properties of rhizosphere and bulk soils of three tea plants cultivated in Ultisols. Geoderma. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2006.04.003
