| Country of Origin | China | | Region | Wuyi Mountains | | Shipping Port: | Shanghai | | Grade | Milk Oolong | | Altitude | 1500-4000 feet above sea level | | Manufacture Type | Traditional orthodox | | Characteristics | A most unique character best described as premium oolong with sweet milk and light orchid notes. | | Infusion | Tending greenish | Milk oolong has such a unique taste that many stories have evolved to explain its unusual flavor. The unique is the result of a sudden shift in temperature during harvest that is an extremely rare occurrence. One of the many legends of milk oolong explains that the first time this shift occurred was centuries ago when the moon fell in love with a comet passing through the night sky. The comet, passed by, burned out and vanished. The moon, in her sorrow caused a great wind to blow through the hills and valleys bringing about a quick drop in temperature. The next morning, local tea pluckers went out to collect their fresh leaves. To their surprise, when the tea was processed it had developed an amazing milky character, which was attributed to the motherly character of the old moon. Milk Oolong, sometimes called silk oolong, like all Oolongs, is considered a semi-fermented tea meaning it is somewhere between a black and green tea. Over the years, production methods have remained unchanged for the most part although some aspects like withering temperatures have been automated and regulated. First, the leaf is plucked from gardens situated between 500-1200 meters, and is produced between March and December. Next, the plucked leaf is withered in air conditioned rooms until it is has reached the desired level of fermentation. The fermented tea is rocked, or sifted to sort the prime leaf required, and steamed over hot fire. Finally the tea is dried then re-sorted to ensure leaf quality and packed. The tea is produced in relatively small quantities from March to December; in fact, only 80,000 kg are produced with about 60,000 kg headed for the export market. |
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