Tips on how to purchase oolong tea
Different types of oolong tea: Oolong tea comes in many varieties, some with a more floral flavor than others, some with a faint smoke taste. Much like wine, the subtle differences in flavor with oolong tea are sometimes overlooked by the novice tea drinker.Just as there are many types of oolong tea, so too does the price range differ greatly. In Taiwan, one of the primary oolong tea growing countries in the world, tea is readily and easily available in most shops and supermarkets. The tea section in one popular supermarket rivals the wine section with its types of tea--green tea, oolong tea, white tea, black tea, jasmine tea, jasmine oolong tea. Within each type there are different brands available.
You can buy tea leaves, freeze dried tea, teabags with whole tea leaves inside the teabag, powdered oolong tea in teabags. Tea in chests, tea in resealable plastic bags, tea in wooden mini-chests. Unless you know exactly what you're looking for it can be overwhelming knowing which types of oolong tea are right for you.
If you're new to oolong tea, I would suggest buying something mid-range in price. If available, I'd also suggest you buy the type of teabags with actual whole tea leaves inside (not the tea bags with powdered tea in them.) This way you will get the taste of fresh, full oolong tea without the complications of trying to figure out exactly how much to put into your teapot. In this way you're setting yourself up for a pleasant experience. Too many tea leaves in a teapot can make a very strong brew, perhaps too strong for you on your first try.
Oolong teabags
For normal oolong tea consumption I use Taiwan oolong tea, whole tea leaves in triangular teabags. When this teabag is inserted in almost boiling water, the leaves swell up inside the teabag and flavor the water. This particular teabag is moderately priced and comes in a re-sealable plastic bag. It's best to purchase oolong tea as fresh as possible.
Most teabags serve up powdered tea, which is the tea that is left over from processing. This is usually the cheapest tea. Powdered tea steeps quickly in teabags and for that reason it is a convenient and easy to use. The downside of using powdered tea in teabags is that it oxidizes very quickly.
Highest quality oolong tea is never ground or powdered, but is kept in whole leaves and is packaged in air tight packages.
High Mountain Oolong Tea
On the other hand my husband, an even more fanatic oolong tea connoisseur than I, will only drink freshly brewed oolong tea made from tea leaves. His favorite is high mountain oolong, one of the better teas and one of the more expensive.
When he's feeling extravagant he pulls out his special oolong tea. It was bought when visiting a tea plantation and cannot be found in shops. Some tea was given him as a gift, again not found in shops and most likely much more expensive than a nice bottle of wine. In fact, High Mountain Oolong Tea from Taiwan is among the most expensive and prized teas in the world. Current prices can go as high as US$800 per 600 grams and it can be very expensive to purchase oolong tea of this grade.
Remember, whether you are using teabags with oolong tea leaves or plain oolong tea leaves in a teapot, you can re-use the leaves three or four times. Enjoy your cuppa'.
