The Season of Ghosts and Goblins is Boolong Time!
Just in time for the season of ghosts and witches, of superheroes and princesses, vampires and skeletons comes one of our favorite October rites—Boolong!
Oolong, one of the world’s most treasured styles of tea, happens to rhyme in part with a big Halloween word: boo. But that’s not the only reason we have fun with the style as we draw closer to the spooky season. Oolong’s flavors, too, align with and enhance those special October vibes.
As with puerh, the famous Chinese fermented style of tea, oolong can yield aromas and flavors of forest floor, of freshly cut hardwood, of walnut, honey and pear. It also can broadcast heavy floral notes—grass, too.
Oolong’s impressive range of flavors, aromas
Every oolong offers its own unique flavors. Why so much diversity in flavor, appearance and aroma? Technique. Black teas undergo extensive oxidation—the process turns the tea leaves black. As a result, black teas don’t contain as many flavor differences as some other styles. Green teas experience no oxidation, and as a result tend to lead with grassy flavors. Greens also contain many other flavors—each variety of green will possess its own unique flavor profile. But grass is assumed.
Oolong, on the other hand, experiences varying degrees of oxidation, depending on the artisan behind its production. The range of techniques brought to bear on tea leaves destined to become oolong translate into a vast diversity of flavors, aromas and styles. This is part of the magic of oolong!
We carry 23 oolong products. We think our oolong lineup offers a fabulous cross-section of superb iterations of one of our favorite teas. But China and Taiwan produce hundreds of oolongs. Love oolong? You’ll never tire of hunting for new ones. And we constantly add fresh oolongs to our store!
Halloween is a little more than a week away. Get started with Boolong! We look forward to guiding you through the fantastic—and definitely not scary—world of first-rate oolongs.
Autumn Vibe Boolong: Blue Spring
Here’s a stellar way to kick off Boolong. Our Blue Spring stars a lovely oolong from Fujian Province, the Chinese state that produces the most oolong. But in an unusual twist, artisans roll the tea’s large leaves into pellets and then roll them in powdered licorice root. The process creates a tea with a sweet aftertaste. It also sort of lubricates the throat, making it perfect for anybody with a sore throat or suffering from other throat-related issues. We also find the licorice bolsters mental energy and focus. This wonderful oolong is one of the most popular in the store. Take a few sips of this, and you too will become a regular customer.
Autumn Vibe Boolong: Da Hong Pao
Many of the most prized oolongs in the world are referred to as “rock oolongs.” They come from Fujian Province’s Wu Yi Mountains, which have produced legendary oolongs for generations. The tea plants that thrive on the sides of these mountains work hard to pull nutrients from the rocky soil. The teas that result offer high concentrations of flavonoids. Rock oolongs are complex flavor bombs—and Boolong is the ideal time to begin experimenting with them! Our Da Hong Pao or “Big Red Robe” is the most famous of all rock oolongs. Records for this tea stretch back to the early 18th century. It’s famous for powerful fragrances and a rich, roasted taste followed by a pleasant, lingering sweetness.
Autumn Vibe Boolong: Dan Cong Honey Orchid
Many oolongs hail from Fujian Province—but not all! Neighboring Guangdong Province also produces a welter of fine oolongs. And Dan Cong Honey Orchid oolong stands as a signature oolong from the Province, the most south oolong production area in China. Dan Cong means “single grove,” and it refers to the special circustances surrounding this tea. With Dan Cong Honey Orchid, each grove of trees gets harvested and processed individually. So when you taste Dan Cong it’s not tea leaves from different areas of a plantation. It’s all leaves from the same small areas. Each grove produces a unique leaf, with its own aromatic and flavor characteristics. This one offers a sweet orchid aroma, with notes of apricot. It’s a must for Boolong.
Speaking of which—Happy Boolong!
