Aged Oolong Tea Cake Description:
Our 2009 Aged Oolong tea cake is meant to be a lighter alternative to shu puerh. This needle style oolong has been aged over ten years, steamed and pressed into a cake to enjoy now or years down the road.
Aging higher oxidized oolongs has been a long Chinese tradition. During the aging, the tea is taken out of its container and lightly baked to remove the moisture it is naturally absorbing through the air. This repeat baking process adds a slight nutty flavor. To form the cake the tea is steamed, which smooths out the flavor and then dried in cake form.
Much like the puerh cakes, oolong cakes can be stored for years with their flavors changing with age. It is important to minimize exposure to air, moisture and light when you store to properly preserve the tea.
Each cake is approximately 100 grams.
Ingredients:
Taiwan Oolong Tea
Taiwan Oolongs - Significance
Competition with Japan and China forced Taiwan to shift in the 1970’s to the oolong production they are well known for now. Even today, most of the tea in Taiwan is consumed locally even though they are considered among the finest of available teas worldwide. The tea industry in Taiwan is still dominated by small family owned farmers giving them control over both the growth and the manufacturing of the tea. This is a unique arrangement and is credited with creating the proper atmosphere for the creation of their diverse and superior oolongs.
- Western Style:
- Add boiling water to mug and allow the water to cool to 195°-200° or simply wait 2 minutes. Break off and steep roughly 1 Tsp or 3-4 grams of tea per 8 oz of water. Steep for 4 minutes. It is worth experimenting with water closer to a boil.
- Gaiwan Steeping:
- Break off and steep roughly 1 g per oz of your gaiwan. Steep 30 seconds for the first infusion and add 15-30 seconds for each additional steeping. Steep as long as you are happy with the flavor.
