Darjeeling tea (oolong)
Encyclopedia
Darjeeling Oolong is a type of tea
produced in Darjeeling, India
, in the style of Oolong
.
Darjeeling Oolong has two distinct characters: one is Clonal
type and the other is China type. The China type is more similar to Taiwan Oolong and the Clonal type is totally different from it.
Darjeeling Oolong is lighter than usual Darjeeling black tea
during First Flush, as it is semi-oxidized. The cup looks light orange and infusion remains green. Darjeeling Oolong in second flush is more accepted worldwide. It is more thick in cup and dark orange in liquor with distinct Muscatel flavours. The China type oolong has very rare muscatel flavour and sells somewhere around US$40–200 per kg. Clonal Oolong has distinct flowery or spicy taste and not much accepted as Darjeeling Oolong Worldwide.
All Darjeeling Gardens are not qualified to produce Darjeeling Oolong maintaining all the factors. Gardens with the following conditions are capable of making Darjeeling Oolong -
Lower Elevation garden can only make the look but they will be far away in flavour which is the main characteristics of Oolong tea. Lower elevation Oolong can be considered as fake darjeeling oolong.
Darjeeling Oolong teas are made from finely plucked leaves usually two leaf and a bud and sometimes withered naturally in sun and air.
The withered leaves get hand-rolled and pan-fired at certain temperature.
This can also be done in machine. Withered in trough, light rolled in rolling machine and fired at 220 °C in Quality Drier with faster run-through depending on the leaves that has been used.
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
produced in Darjeeling, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, in the style of Oolong
Oolong
Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea produced through a unique process including withering under the strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas, especially those of fine quality, involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties...
.
Darjeeling Oolong has two distinct characters: one is Clonal
Clonal
Clonal may refer toin Immunology:*Clonal deletion, a process by which B cells and T cells are deactivated before act significantly upon specific antigens*Clonal selection theory, a model for how the immune system responds to infection...
type and the other is China type. The China type is more similar to Taiwan Oolong and the Clonal type is totally different from it.
Darjeeling Oolong is lighter than usual Darjeeling black tea
Darjeeling tea
Darjeeling tea is a black tea from the Darjeeling region in West Bengal, India. When properly brewed, it yields a thin-bodied, light-colored infusion with a floral aroma...
during First Flush, as it is semi-oxidized. The cup looks light orange and infusion remains green. Darjeeling Oolong in second flush is more accepted worldwide. It is more thick in cup and dark orange in liquor with distinct Muscatel flavours. The China type oolong has very rare muscatel flavour and sells somewhere around US$40–200 per kg. Clonal Oolong has distinct flowery or spicy taste and not much accepted as Darjeeling Oolong Worldwide.
All Darjeeling Gardens are not qualified to produce Darjeeling Oolong maintaining all the factors. Gardens with the following conditions are capable of making Darjeeling Oolong -
- Altitude (High Altitude at 3000 ft above sea level) is required.
- Old China bush (Chesima) concentration should be there. At least 40 % of total tea growing area.
- Clonal type (AV II) is required – at least 25 % at high altitude. (Like Tingling Division Of Singbulli tea Estate.)
- Area should not absorb too much heat during any time of the season.
- Average temperature should remain 5–20 °C throughout the season.
Lower Elevation garden can only make the look but they will be far away in flavour which is the main characteristics of Oolong tea. Lower elevation Oolong can be considered as fake darjeeling oolong.
Darjeeling Oolong teas are made from finely plucked leaves usually two leaf and a bud and sometimes withered naturally in sun and air.
The withered leaves get hand-rolled and pan-fired at certain temperature.
This can also be done in machine. Withered in trough, light rolled in rolling machine and fired at 220 °C in Quality Drier with faster run-through depending on the leaves that has been used.