What is A Quality Imperial Formosa Oolong Tea Garden?

Imperial Formosa Oolong tea is one of the most prized in the world. Oolong teas from Taiwan are becoming more and more popular as their delicious taste is discovered by more and more tea drinkers. Though oolong tea originated in China, and though most of the oolong tea produced in the world today is still produced in China, oolong teas from Taiwan, also known as Formosa oolongs are quickly being recognized for their quality.

One of the reasons that oolong tea is so prized is because it is rare. And the reason it is rare is because few tea gardens in the world are up to the challenge of producing this labor intensive tea.

According to Chinese legend, olong tea was discovered by accident by tea gardener Wu Liang. Wu Liang was busy collecting and processing tea leaves for green tea when he spotted a river deer. He stopped to kill and prepare the deer and it interrupted his tea processing for the day. He forgot all about his tea processing until the next day, by which time the leaves had begun to change color.

Wu Liang thought that the tea might have gone bad, but he decided to dry it out anyway. Once he was finished preparing the tea, he discovered that he had created a very special and delicious variety of tea – what we call oolong today.

Oolong tea is different from other teas because it is partially fermented. Falling between black and green tea, oolong is fermented, but for a much shorter period of time than black tea. This partial fermentation is responsible for the unique fruity taste and fragrant aroma of oolong tea. In addition, most oolong teas are created with larger tea leaves from farther down the tea plant.

This is said to be partially responsible for the fruity flavor of oolong teas. Today Imperial Formosa oolong tea is made in only the finest tea gardens in Taiwan. The tea is produced by hand following this intricate process:

The tea leaves are plucked by hand first thing in the morning as they are ready. This may mean several pluckings over several days, as it is critical that the leaves be plucked at their exact time of readiness.

Next the leaves are spread out in the sun to wither. They must be observed so that they are brought out of the sun when the moisture is appropriately removed. Chinese oolong teas are withered in sheds rather than in the sun.
Next, the leaves are shaken to slightly bruise the edges. This bruising causes the oxidation process to begin.

The tea artisan then wraps the leaves in cloth, forming a ball. The leaves will be tumbled regularly during the remainder of the oxidation period in order to ensure that the oxidation process is even. Some oolong teas will be tumbled every hour during the oxidation period.

Once the oxidation period is completed, when the leaves are about 30% fermented and about 70% green, the leaves are inspected and picked through to ensure that the leaves are not sticking together. Some Formosa oolong teas are known as pouchongs. These oolong teas are fermented only about 15%, as opposed to Imperial Formosa oolong and other true oolongs.

Next, the leaves are fired to end the oxidation process. In many cases, oolong teas are fired over charcoal, giving them a bit of a smoky flavor.
The tea is now ready to be sorted according to grade and packaged to be sold. Imperial Formosa oolong tea is graded according to the following standards:

• Finest to Choice
• Finest
• Fine to Finest
• Fine Up
• Fine
• On Fine
• Superior to Fine
• Superior Up
• Fully Superior
• Superior
• On Superior
• Good to Superior
• Good Up
• Fully Good
• Good
• On Good
• Standard

Because Imperial Formosa oolong tea is one of the best Taiwanese teas, it is typically made from Finest to Choice tea leaves.

The best Imperial Formosa oolong tea gardens pay careful attention to the steps required to create this wonderful tea. They use skilled tea artisans who are experienced in timing the fermentation process perfectly. In addition, they tend their gardens regularly, even outside of the growing season.

During the summer, in addition to harvesting tea, gardeners must pay careful attention to weeding. During the fall, tea plants do their most intense growing of the year, so it’s important that the tea gardener fertilize the plants. Late in the autumn, the tea plants must be pruned before winter. Even during the cold winter months, tea gardeners must watch their gardens, ensuring that their youngest plants are protected from the cold.

By March, the tea plants will need to be pruned again, in preparation for the coming growing season.

It takes time, patience and experience to produce a tea as delicious as Imperial Formosa oolong tea. Though few tea gardens will go through the labor and time required those that do can reap the rewards. In addition to the knowledge that they’ve created one of the best teas in the world, they are also able to charge more money for this rare and exquisite tea. Even so, most tea connoisseurs would agree that Imperial Formosa oolong tea is well worth the price they’ve paid to enjoy it.