Dong Ding Oolong

Dong Ding Oolong is of the finest quality and comes from Taiwan. The leaves are handpicked near the Dong Ding Mountain of the Nantou county, which is located in the central area of the country. It is arguably the most famous Taiwanese Oolong Tea and boasts a wonderful fragrant scent with a wholesome flavour best recognised for its bold sweet notes.

And if taste alone isn’t enough, then consume Dong Ding Oolong Tea for its remarkable health benefits. In fact, when enjoyed as part of a healthy and active lifestyle, Dong Ding Oolong Tea can boost the metabolism, improve cardiovascular health, reduce the risks of Type II Diabetes, and even support cognitive function.

Most of all, however, Dong Ding Oolong Tea tastes delicious and makes the perfect start to the morning. It is one of our most popular Oolong Teas and continues to garner great interest around the world. Be part of something special today and choose Dong Ding Oolong Tea for taste, for aroma, for health benefits, for you.

Oolong Teas from Taiwan such as Dong Ding Oolong Tea are known and loved around the world. But when it comes to the history of Oolong Tea, we must travel across the Taiwan Strait to China. No one knows exactly when, how, or where in China Oolong Tea was first made but there are many theories. One theory, the oldest of them all, is that during the Song Dynasty (906 - 1279 CE), Emperors of China were presented with “Tribute Teas”, the most famous tribute teas coming from the Beiyuan Tea Garden in the Fujian Province.

At the time, the Fujian Province was famous for producing a compressed tea cake with an imprint of a phoenix and a dragon, which was especially popular in the Royal Court until loose leaf teas came into fashion. In a desperate attempt to keep up with the times, the owners and workers of the Beiyuan tea garden began to produce a darker leaf tea called “Wu Long”, meaning “Black Dragon”. Some historians believe that through Chinese Whispers “Wu Long” became “Oolong”. It will never be known whether there is any truth to the tale but it certainly makes a good story.

But when it comes to Taiwanese Oolong Tea, not only must we travel back over the Taiwan Strait but we must also travel ahead in time to the 19th Century. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), immigration from China to Taiwan, then still an island province to China, was at an all-time high. Tea farmers and workers from the mainland flooded to Formosa, as it was then known, to start new tea gardens and estates.

Near the Dong Ding Mountains, in particular, conditions proved ideal for the growing and making of Oolong Tea. Today, the tea-growing areas of the Dong Ding mountain have extended to the nearby townships of Minjian and Jhushan. There are up to five harvests a year with the winter providing the highest quality tea, closely followed by the spring harvest tea. But our very own Dong Ding Oolong Tea is the best of the best; we are proud of that fact, and we are proud of our Dong Ding Oolong Tea.

Type of Tea: Loose Leaf Oolong Tea.

Origin: The Dong Ding Mountain area, Taiwan (formerly Formosa).

Brewing Instructions: Brew using freshly boiled water left to cool to temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees. Following this, infuse for 2 to 3 minutes.

How to Serve: Consider lemon with this brew, although we believe it tastes best as it is.

Tasting Notes: The aroma of Dong Ding Oolong Tea is reminiscent of Green Tea, similar to its taste, which is grassy, herbaceous, fresh, and smooth.

Colour in Cup: Pale yellow liquor, light in tone.

Health Benefits: The research is preliminary but nevertheless promising: Oolong can potentially aid in improving bone mineral density and may reduce the risks of osteoporosis. Dong Ding Oolong Tea contains high levels of magnesium and calcium, two compounds renowned for helping to improve bone health. It is also thought that Oolong Tea can protect oral health owing to its potential ability to inhibit the production of acid and bacteria in the mouth.

Until more is known, however, The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company do not endorse the consumption of Dong Ding Oolong Tea, or any tea, for the improvement of bone and oral health, though we do certainly support mounting evidence and continued research.