Ginseng oolong is a high quality beauty tea from China. Though many think this tea is a product of modern times, the winning combination of using tea and ginseng was already mentioned in <ben cao shi yi>, a historical Chinese text dated from 741 BC. It wasn't until around 500 years ago, when Ginseng oolong became a royal drink, served as atribute tea to the emporer. That's why this tea is also called the 'King's tea' or 'Orchid Beauty' (Lan Gui Ren) referring to an emperor's concubine in the Tang Dynasty. Ginseng Oolong tea leaves are rolled by hand into tight balls, coated with ginseng, and blended with licorice root for a subtle, slightly spiced tea with woody and floral notes. The tea is full of medicinal properties and has a milk flavor with a subtle sweetness from the licorice and a hint of spice, it is a soothing, aromatic tea with a bewitching quality which has a mild, fruity aroma combined with a distinctive earthiness. The flavor is rich of sweet aftertaste of ginseng. The appearance of Ginseng oolong (or 'Wulong') looks more compressed compared other teas in this category, such as the Tieguanyin or Dahongpao. Because of this, you need some 'Kungfu' to steep this tea. Before you can start brewing, you need to make sure you have water ready at boiling point. Don't let it cool down too much, or the pellets will not fully unfold when you steep it. Preferably use a teapot or tea mug that has a lid, as you will be better able to isolate the heat after pouring hot water. Steep 3 gram of ginseng oolong leaves for 5 minutes. The tea is ready when the leaves have unfurled. Afterwards, pour a cup and enjoy the rejuvenating ginseng aroma before savoring the delicious cup, combining the rich flavor of Oolong with the sweet aftertaste of ginseng. After the first steep, the second steep can be a bit shorter as the leaves have already opened up. Apply 2 minutes for your second brew and then start increasing the steeping time for next rounds again. Oolongtea ｜Taiwan ｜ Semi-fermentation ｜ Spring and Summer
Ginseng Oolong #1
Ginseng Oolong #2
