How To Brew Delicious Oolong Tea

If you want to learn how to brew oolong tea, but aren’t sure where to start, this is the blog article for you!

Keep in mind, every tea-drinker’s tastes are a little different. You may find a different method that works best for you. Additionally, all teas are different and so one oolong may need to be steeped using a different method than another. Regardless, the instructions below are a good place to start.

Timing is very important when brewing oolong tea. Over-brewing has negative effects on the flavor, so it’s important to separate the water from the tea leaves at the right moment.

Water Temperature:

195-200°F (90-95°C) is best for most oolong tea.

If the water is too hot, the flavor may become astringent or bitter. Lightly fermented and lightly roasted tea leaves are especially delicate, and may be scalded by water that is too hot, making it difficult to re-brew successfully.

If the water is too cool, it doesn’t extract the full flavor from the tea leaves, and resulting in a weak cup of tea. Darker, more roasted oolong teas such as rock tea (known as yancha in Chinese) do well with hotter water.

Oolong Brewing Methods:

The quantity of tea leaves listed below can be scaled up or down depending on the size of your teapot. Tea leaves can be re-brewed many times, until the leaves are spent and the desired flavor disappears.

Method A. Brew Oolong with an Automatic Tea Brewer:

Brewer Capacity: 12oz (350ml)
Tea Leaf: 7 grams, about 1 Tbsp

1. Wake Up the Leaves: Pour just enough hot water in to cover the leaves and wait for it to drain into the bottom pitcher. Discard the rinse water.
2. Enjoy the Fragrance: A beautiful aroma will come from the tea leaves and the warm, empty pitcher.
3. Time to Brew: Fill the brewing compartment with hot water. When it has all dripped into the pitcher, the tea is ready to enjoy!

Method B. Brew Oolong with an Yixing Clay Teapot:

Teapot Capacity: 12oz (350ml)
Tea Leaf: just cover the bottom of the teapot, about 7-9 grams or 1 Tbsp.

1. Wake Up the Leaves: pour hot water over the tea leaves and wait 5-10 seconds, then discard the rinse water.
2. Enjoy the Fragrance: this is the perfect time to enjoy the aroma released by the awakened tea leaves.
3. Time to Brew
   1st Brew: 50-60 seconds
   2nd-3rd Brew: 30 seconds
   4th-5th Brew: 40 seconds

Method C. Brew Oolong with a Glass or Porcelain Gaiwan:

Gaiwan Capacity: 6oz (175ml)
Tea Leaf: about 7 grams

1. Wake Up the Leaves: pour hot water over the tea leaves and wait 5-10 seconds, then discard the rinse water.
2. Enjoy the Fragrance: this is the perfect time to enjoy the aroma released by the awakened tea leaves.
3. Time to Brew
   1st Brew: 30 seconds
   2nd-3rd Brew: 20 seconds
   4th-5th Brew: 30 seconds

If you have questions about how to get the best flavor from your oolong tea, please get in touch! Thank you for reading, and happy tea drinking!

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