Mao Cha 毛茶
Exploring China's nuanced practice of tea darkening, a modern trend unfolds, with a delve into post-processing revealing striking difference
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Wulong Tea (Oolong)
light wulong
Wulong tea, in Chinese 乌龙茶 wūlóng cha, is an advanced and seasonal tea that developed in the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong in southeastern China, and later also in Taiwan. Chinese identity tea names like Tie Guan Yin and Da Hong Pao are part of a repertoire of hundreds of sub-varieties and different tea names in the Chinese wulong family, with names like Milky Oolong, and Oriental Beauty being more identified with the Taiwanese oolong industry.
Wulong tea undergoes a diverse and creative oxidation process, with its craftsmanship considered to be the most complex in the tea world. Whether enjoyed fresh or aged, Wulong tea is distinguished by an almost infinite variety of nuances. It boasts an exceptionally complex profile, offering a broad spectrum of aromas, flavors, and textures that can be naturally developed during its production. Similar to Pu'er tea, we also divide our wulong into two main families: light wulong and dark wulong.
Qing Xiang Wulong (Light Oolong)
The original form of wulong tea, known as qing xiang 清香, translates to "sweet and delicate aroma" in Chinese. This light wulong developed mainly in the center of Fujian province, especially around Anxi County, where the traditional Tie Guan Yin, one of the most popular and beloved teas in China and the world, is produced. Throughout Fujian province, additional sub-varieties of light wulong are cultivated in various unique methods, most of which are esoteric and relevant mainly to the local audience.
Although there are an array of wulong varieties, the majority share the following process principles: leaves are usually picked at the peak of the growing season as a set of 3-4 leaves, then undergo a gentle withering, followed by rolling. Next, the leaves embark on an oxidation process that alternates between periods of movement and rest, following a tight schedule and maintaining precise temperature and humidity conditions over several hours or days. The finishing varies among different wulongs; some undergo folding like the Tie Guan Yin or experience a light compression, while others retain their rolled or loose form. Ultimately, the tea undergoes a quick heating process known as firing.
dark wulong
Dark Wulong
Dark Wulong tea, known as nong xiang 浓香 in Chinese, which translates to "strong aroma", is a light Wulong that undergoes an additional process of baking or aging. This further process not only darkens the leaves and the tea liquor but also serves to enhance and enrich the natural aromas and flavors of the tea, making it one of the most innovative and fascinating developments in the world of tea.
Today, the cultivation of dark wulong is centered in two primary regions: the Wuyi Shan mountains in northern Fujian province and the Fenghuang Shan, or Phoenix Mountains, in Guangdong province. These areas are not only renowned for their rich history but also for their significant influence on the contemporary tea-drinking customs in China. In Wuyi Shan, the soil is mineral-rich, providing a nurturing ground for tea, while the Phoenix Mountains are known for producing dān cōng 单丛, which literally means "one batch" or "single tree,".
Our Wulong Collection
The Chinese wulong and Taiwanese wulong industries are among the largest and busiest in the world, with a vast array of cultivations in various qualities and different production methods. We chose to focus on high-graded versions of wulong tea, grown only using traditional methods in the original growing regions of each type, in Fujian province in China and across Taiwan. Each season, alongside local tea growers, we actively participate in the selection process of our tea, from hundreds of tea types at different profiles and grades, providing one of the most educational and satisfying experiences in our work.
Growing Areas
Zhang Ping
Wuyi
Anxi
Fujian
Our light wulong from the Tie Guan Yin 铁观音 family comes from Xiping, one of the three traditional villages of Anxi county. The Wei family's tea, a legacy from the first generation of Tie Guan Yin growers 300 years ago, is grown on private farms at an altitude of 600-1000 meters using traditional cultivation methods characterized by awareness and mutual respect between humans and the environment. The young plants, aged 10-20 years, are pruned each season to a non-standard height of 50 cm, one of the lowest in the wulong industry, guaranteeing a limited yield of fresh and soft leaves, from which a precise tea of rare quality can be produced. Our Tie Guan Yin, as well as other light wulongs we collect in Taiwan, are tested and packaged to the highest standards in the industry, with the greenest types preserved in freezing all year round, extending the shelf life of the tea and maintaining its freshness.
Our range of dark wulongs has been expanding year after year, as we persistently explore experimental growing regions and conduct experiments with different baking methods, in collaboration with our growers. We source our Yan Cha (岩茶), rock tea from Wuyi Shan, from several farms in the most prestigious and traditional areas in the iconic mountain range in Fujian province, primarily identified with its unique growth soil - a humid, yellow soil created from decayed mineral-rich rocks. Additional types of dark wulong, such as the 2019 Yu Guan Yin that underwent traditional charcoal baking, or the aged Tie Guan Yin from the 2000s, have featured in blind tasting clubs as extraordinary and rare tea types.
Wulong tea in its various forms is one of our specialties. The growers and traders with whom we work in Fujian province and several counties in Taiwan and Thailand, have been our mentors who significantly contributed to the identity of the Ho Yum Tea brand, even before it was founded, and in many ways shaped our unique taste and our relationship with tea. Our fieldwork and the fact that each season we visit additional growing regions and discover cultivation and production methods we were not previously familiar with, have greatly influenced our natural approach to our sourcing, in the pursuit of sustainable agriculture and broad environmental awareness. All the tea we export from Taiwan, without exception, is grown in natural conditions without the use of pesticides. More info about our sourcing of wild tea in Taiwan, aka ye sheng 野生 and ye fang cha 野放茶, can be found in our dedicated Taiwan tea page.
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