1. 凤凰单枞 Feng Huang Dan Cong Presented by Qin and Rong Ku Cha House of Tea 2.2010
Oolong tea stands up as a category in our tea selections. It is the second largest tea consumption in China, about 15% of the total sales in China. The No. 1, however, it is still Green tea (about 60% of the market share).

2. Agenda Oolong Tea Defined One of four major Oolong teas
History of Dan Cong
Region of Dan Cong
Types of Dan Cong
Picking Period
The Process of Dan Cong
Chao Shan Gong Fu
Evaluation and Taste
Q & A

3. Oolong Tea, Defined Tea category:
White: Lightly oxidized (20% - 30%), least processed.
Yellow: slightly oxidized (10% - 20%), steamed to yellow with special process
Green: Unoxidized
Oolong: semi-oxidized and wok fired, most complicated crafting of tea leaves.
Black: 80% to 90% oxidized
Puerh: can be100% oxidized (ripe), unorixdized (raw), or half & half (mixed).
Different categorization of tea:
Level of oxidation
Withering or non withering – Green tea is the only tea that doesn’t go through withering process;
Season: Spring, Summer, Autumn, winter
Shape: loose, brick, cake, etc,
primary/refined
Flavored/unflavored

4. One of four major Oolong teas
Min Bei Oolong: Da Hong Pao
Min Nan Oolong: Tie Guan Yin
Guang Dong Oolong: Dan Cong
Tai Wan Oolong: Dong Ding
The Chinese name means "black dragon tea". There are three widely accepted explanations on how this Chinese name came about.
According to the "tribute tea" theory, oolong tea was a direct descendant of Dragon-Phoenix Tea Cake tribute tea. Oolong tea replaced it when loose tea came into fashion. Since it was dark, long and curly, it was called the Black Dragon tea.
According to the "Wuyi" theory, oolong tea first existed in Wuyi Mountain. This is evidenced by Qing dynasty poems such as Wuyi Tea Song (Wuyi Chage) and Tea Tale (Chashuo). It was said that oolong tea was named after the part of Wuyi mountain where it was originally produced.
According to the "Anxi" theory, oolong tea had its origin in the Anxi oolong tea plant. A man named Wuliang, which was P discovered it.
Yang Tai Bai – discovery the method of making oolong tea – withering & roasting – by a mistake. He went to the mountains and picked teas; and got delayed because he fell asleep and had a long nap in the afternoon under the sun together with the fresh leaves he picked.
He went back home with withered tea leaves and started to put some wood in his oven and set up the wok to cook dinner. Fragrance of the tea got unbearably strong that all his neighbors came to check what happened. He started to think through what happened and come up with the whole process of producing oolong tea such as withering, rolling, roasting, grading, etc. He was worshiped as the the father of “Oolong Tea”.

5. History of Dan Cong
Started at the end of Song Dynasty, about 900 Years of history
Legend has it: the last empire of Song Dynasty was excelled. When he was passing through Feng Huang county, he drunk some the wild teas from the local tea trees. Because he liked it so much, the local farmers started to cultivate, harvest and process this tea. The tea trees he found was then called as Song Teas.
The oldest cultivated tea trees in China, Song No. 1, about 600 years old

6. Chao Zhou, GuangDong Province Next to the Eastern Sea
Region of Dan Cong
Chao Zhou, GuangDong Province
Next to the Eastern Sea
Warm and Moisture (Yearly average temperature is 20 c)
Above 1000 meters in altitude

8. Types of Dan Cong
By Geographic: Chao Zhou Dan Cong and Ling Tou Dan Cong
By Flavors: Huang Zhi, Yu Lan, Honey Orchid, Osmanthus, Apricot, Ginger, Cinnamon, Grape Fruit, Lady Purple, Jasmine, etc.

9. Picking Period 1. From Cun Fen (3/20) to Qing Ming (4/5)
Extremely early picks (white leaves): Honey Orchid, etc
2. From Qing Ming (April 5th) to Gu Yu (April 20th or 21st)
Song No. 1; Huang Zhi, Osmanthus, Lady Purple etc.
3. Between Gu Yu and Li Xia (around May 4th)
Late mature: Yu Lan, Song Ba Xian, etc

10. The Process of Dan Cong
1. Picking: sunny afternoon between 1 pm and 4 pm; the leaves are usually two buds and one leaf; most Dan Cong are processed from mid March to Mid May.
2. Sun Dry: Thin Layers (not overlapping); Light dry (dry atmosphere; or thinner leaves); Long dry (moist atmosphere; or heavier leaves); several drying cycles (for leaves with longer stems)
3. Cooling: move leaves back to indoor and on the shelves so the leaves can release heat;
4. Shaking: shake leaves from bottom up so the edges of the leaves bruised; during the shaking, the aroma changes from grassy flavor to flower flavors;
A) Performed during night, when the temperature drops even lower
B) Balance moisture: balance the water between stems and leaves
C) Control the aroma intensity: not too early or too late (temperature control)
D) Control the level of bruise: control the level of oxidization
5. Pan Fry: pan fry until aroma comes out
6. Rolling: shape the dry leaves and make the leaves look shining and oily
7. Baking: repeat baking-cool cycle 3 to 5 times
8. Store: dry environment; “pillar bag”

12. Chao Shan Gong Fu Use Gai Wan or Yi Xing Pot
1. Warm up Gai Wan and tea cups （温壶烫杯）
2. Appreciate tea (鉴赏佳茗 )
3. Funnel tea leaves into Gai Wan （乌龙入宫）
4. Rinse leaves (懸壺高沖 )
5. Scoop away any debris and or bubbles formed on the top of the Gai Wan (春風拂面 )
6. Pour infusion completely out（洗净尘缘）
7. Refill the Gai Wan with boiling water to 3/4 (高冲低斟 )
8. Cover the lid
9. Sit for 30 seconds
10. Pour infusion into cups and use the lid to keep leaves inside the Gai (关公巡城)
11. Drop the last tea infusion into the cups (韩信点兵)
12. Smell the aroma from the inside of the lid
13. Place the cup on a small tray and present to the guest with both hands
14. Drink teas from drinking cup in three times (品）
15. Repeat step 8 to 14

15. Evaluation and Taste
Unlike other oolongs (who are strong on the infusions), Dan Cong is strong on the flavor; it must have clear, high, intense and lingering flavors; even after the infusion loses its taste, it should still have flavors lingering
The aroma of Dan Cong consists of two types: leaf aroma and oxidization aroma. The leaf aroma is native to the type of the Dan Cong teas; the oxidization aroma is from the processing
Oxidization aroma is presented as flowery flavors. One can tell the quality of the processing, by the oxidization aroma - high, clear, pure and lingering
Leaf aroma is native to the specific tea leaves, such as Osmenthus, Jasmine, Orchid, etc
Ling Tou Dan Cong has very special Honey flavor
Evaluate Dan Cong require at least 3 to 4 steeps; some aroma comes out only after 3 steeps; some loses the flavor after 3 steeps

16. Q & A

17. Crafting & Processing Picking (Cai Qing 采青)
Primary Withering (Wei Diao 萎凋）
Solar Withering (Sai Qing 晒青）
Indoor Withering (Liang Qing 凉青）
Shaking (Zuo Qing 做青）
Wok Firing (Chao Qing 炒青）
Rolling – Ball Rolling (Rou Nian 揉捻）*
Roasting (Hong Bei 烘焙）*
* Repeated process.
The manufacture process didn’t change much over time, with only slight variation.
-two leaves and one bud
Shaking – oxidation starts
wok firing
Rolling

19. Oolong Category Min Nan （闽南） Min Bei （闽北） Guang Dong （广东） Taiwan （台湾）
The common categorization of oolong tea in china is according to the production area.

20. Min Nan （闽南）Oolong The biggest Oolong Production Place in China;
The origin of reproduction of oolong using tea branches (1640 AC)
General characteristics: ball shaped; low temperature roasting; median oxidation

21. Tie Guan Yin (铁观音，Qing Dynasty, 1725)
Shape: Round Ball Shape, Heavy, Uniform
Color: Sandy Green, Red dots;
Brew: Golden Bright
Fragrance: Orchid flowery aroma
Taste: sweet, refreshing, long lasting aftertaste (Hui Gan)
Brewed Leaf: soft, bright, thick red edge

22. Min Bei （闽北）Oolong Wuyi Mountain, the origin of Oolong Tea
Wuyi Rock Tea, the first Oolong Tea exported to Europe
Cliff/Rock Tea
High Temperature Roasting, slow baking, and Deep Oxidation

23. Da Hong Pao (大红袍) Shape: Slightly Cured, Resilient
Color: Brownish Green
Brew: Clear Amber Bright
Fragrance: Lightly roasted
Taste: Stone flowery, Yan Yun (Rocky Sensation)
Brewed Leaf: green center, red edge

24. Guang Dong （广东）Oolong A later Oolong Tea production area in China
Similar process as the Min Bei Rock Oolong
More mild taste; unique varieties of fragrances

25. Feng Huang Dan Cong (凤凰单枞）
Harvested from single tea tree (the highest quality)
Different varieties of fragrance: Cape Jasmine (Huang Zhi), Orchid, Magnolia, Honey, Osmenthus, Almond, Cinnamon, Ginger Flower, Grape Fruit, etc.

26. Feng Huang Dan Cong (凤凰单枞 – 黄栀香)
Shape: bird beak shape
Color: dark brown
Brew: golden
Fragrance: cape jasmine (huang zhi)
Taste: full bodied, refreshing and sweet
Brewed Leaf: bamboo soot yellow, red edge

27. Huang Zhi Xiang Dan Cong – cape jasmine fragrance

28. Taiwan （台湾）Oolong About 200 years’ of history (~1810)
Introduced by immigrants from Fu Jian
Most famous Tai Wan Oolong:
Pao Zhong (包种茶）
Dong Ding (冻顶茶）
Bai Hao (Oriental Beauty) （白毫乌龙）

29. Oriental Beauty (白毫乌龙)
Shape: curl to flower shape, white hairs
Color: red, white, yellow, brown and green
Brew: bright amber color
Fragrance: ripe fruit with honey undertone
Taste: full bodied, and sweet
Brewed Leaf: reddish and semi-transparent

30. Next week Brewing methods Brewing utensils Hangs On experience
Tai Wan Gong Fu
Min Nan Gong Fu
Chao Shan Gong Fu
Brewing utensils
Xi Ying Tea Pot
Gai Wan
Hangs On experience

31. 清香乌龙茶 Fragrant Oolong Tea (2) Gong Fu Tea (工夫茶） Presented by Qin and Rong Ku Cha House of Tea 9.2009
Oolong tea stands up as a category in our tea selections. It is the second largest tea consumption in China, about 15% of the total sales in China. The No. 1, however, it is still Green tea (about 60% of the market share). 31

32. From Last Week… Definition of Oolong Tea History, legend
Unique characteristics
Health benefits
Manufacturing Process
4 different tea regions and their signature teas

33. Agenda The Definition of Gong Fu Tea History Philosophy
Why Brewing Oolong Tea in Gong Fu style?
Gong Fu Utensils
Taiwan Gong Fu, Fujian Gong Fu, or Chao Shan Gong Fu

34. The Definition of Gong Fu Tea
Gong Fu Tea is a traditional way of serving tea in China. The term Gong Fu, in this context, translates to “taking time and care to do something well”.

35. The History of Gong Fu Tea
Tang Dynasty (618 AD to 907 AD): first documented in the “Classic of Tea” by Lu Yu, the saga of Tea in China in the 8th century; The center of Tea culture: Xi’an, in central north of China
Song Dynasty (960 AD to 1279 AD): development stage; centered in Luo Yang, central part of China
Ming Dynasty (1368 AD to 1644 AD): Reach its maturity (mainly Green Teas), centered in Jiangsu, Zhejiang Provinces, in Eastern part of China
Qing Dynasty (1644 AD to 1911 AD): Guangdong, Fujian Provinces, a rather secluded area in South Eastern part of China

36. The Philosophy of Gong Fu Tea
The harmony between the Nature and the People (天人合一 );
It includes seven basic elements:
Skill
Integrity
Etiquette
Rule
Affection
Knowledge Qi
中国茶道涵盖着七种主要义理（即“七义”）：（一）茶艺；（二）茶德；（三）茶礼；（四）茶理；（五）茶情；（六）茶学说；（七）茶导引（即茶气功）。中国茶道精神的核心（即“一心”）是“和”，

37. Why brewing Oolong Tea in Gong Fu Style
Taste Great; Relaxing;
The essence of Gong Fu Tea – Temperature (95 C or 203 F)
Fragrance
Taste
Color

38. Gong Fu Utensils Tea Pot/Gai Wan Fair Cup and filter (Taiwan Style)
Tea Cup / aroma cup
Tea Tray
Tea canister/tea appreciation plate
Water Kettle
Cha Dao – scoop, clip, spoon, needle, and funnel
Tea cup coaster
Tea Towel

39. Steps 1. Warm up tea pot and tea cups （温壶烫杯） 2. Appreciate tea (鉴赏佳茗 )
3. Funnel tea leaves into pot （乌龙入宫）
4. Rinse leaves (懸壺高沖 )
5. Scoop away any debris and or bubble on the mouth of the pot and covered with lid (春風拂面 )
6. Pour infusion completely out（洗净尘缘）
7. Refill the pot with boiling water to the mouth of the pot (高冲低斟 )
8. Cover the tea pot mouth Lid and pour water around the lid (封壶)
9. Sit for 30 seconds
10. Strain out the infusion into a fair cup
11. Fill the 2/3 of the aroma cup with infusion
12. Cover the aroma cup with drink cup and flip with swaying front right arm and stop at the left side of the body (鲤鱼翻身)
13. Rest the set on a small tray
14. Present the cup set and tray to the guest with both hands
15. Gently pull up the aroma cup
16. Place the aroma cup in both hands and rotate it in front of the nose to smell the fragrance
17. Drink teas from drinking cup in three times (品）
18. Repeat step 8 to 17