What temperature should water be for oolong tea?

185–203°F (85–95°C). Lightly oxidized, floral oolongs do best around 185–195°F (85–90°C); dark, roasted oolongs want water closer to boiling.

How long should you steep oolong tea?

3 to 5 minutes in a mug or teapot. Brewed gongfu style, with more leaf in a small pot, steeps are much shorter: 20–30 seconds to start, a little longer each round.

How many times can you steep oolong?

Three or four times in a mug, and six or more brewed gongfu style. Add time with each infusion. Many people find the second and third steeps the best.

Should you rinse oolong tea?

It helps with tightly rolled oolongs. Pour hot water over the leaves, wait a few seconds, and pour it off. The rinse wakes the leaves up so the first real steep tastes fuller.

Does oolong tea have caffeine?

Yes, usually somewhere between green and black tea, roughly 30–50 mg per 8 oz cup. It varies a lot with the leaf and how long you steep it.

How much oolong should I use?

About 2–3 g per 8 oz (240 ml) cup, which is one to two teaspoons depending on how tightly rolled it is. For gongfu brewing, use 5–7 g in a 4 oz pot.

How to Brew Oolong Tea

Steep time: 3m – 5m
Water temperature: 85°C – 95°C

About Oolong Tea

Oolong sits between green and black tea: its leaves are partially oxidized, anywhere from lightly (closer to green tea) to heavily (closer to black). Many oolongs are also roasted over charcoal or in ovens. Most come from China's Fujian and Guangdong provinces and from Taiwan, with well-known styles including Tieguanyin, Da Hong Pao, Dan Cong, and Taiwanese high-mountain oolongs.

What it tastes like

Lightly oxidized oolongs are floral and creamy, with notes of orchid, lilac, or butter. Darker, roasted oolongs taste of stone fruit, honey, toasted grain, and minerals. Many leave a lingering sweet aftertaste.

Step by step

Measure your tea Use about one teaspoon of Oolong Tea leaves per 8 oz cup.
Heat the water Bring fresh water to 85°C – 95°C. Water that is too hot will scorch the leaves.
Steep Pour the water over the leaves and steep for 3m – 5m. Start at the shorter time and taste as you go.
Strain and serve Remove the leaves as soon as the steep is done so the tea does not turn bitter.

Brewing tips

Rinse tightly rolled oolongs once with hot water and pour it off before the first steep. It helps the leaves open up.
Look at the spent leaves: good oolong unfurls into whole leaves, often with reddish edges where it was oxidized.
Pair floral, lightly oxidized oolongs with fruit or delicate pastries, and roasted ones with nuts or dark chocolate.

Timer

Oolong Tea steeps for 3m – 5m — start the clock as you pour.

Oolong Tea

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Other ways to brew Oolong Tea

In a mug or teapot

Use one to two teaspoons (2–3 g) per 8 oz (240 ml) cup; tightly rolled oolongs look like less than they are. Heat water to 185–203°F (85–95°C) and steep 3–5 minutes. Green, floral oolongs want the cooler end; dark, roasted ones want water close to boiling. Give the leaves room, since rolled oolong can expand to several times its size.

Gongfu style

This is how oolong is traditionally brewed: about 5–7 g of leaf in a 4 oz (100–120 ml) gaiwan or small clay pot. Rinse the leaves with hot water and pour it off, then steep 20–30 seconds, pour out completely, and repeat. Add 5–10 seconds each round. You'll get six or more infusions, and the flavor shifts as the leaves open.

Iced oolong

Brew double strength, about 5 g in 8 oz (240 ml) of hot water for 4 minutes, and pour over ice. Roasted oolongs make an especially good iced tea, nutty and smooth.

Cold brew

Use about 5 g per 8 oz (240 ml) of cold water and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. Cold-brewed green oolong is creamy and floral; roasted oolong turns toasty and sweet. Rolled leaves open slowly in cold water, so give them the full time.

Can you re-steep Oolong Tea?

Oolong is the best tea there is for re-steeping. In a mug, good whole-leaf oolong gives three or four infusions: steep the second for about a minute longer than the first, and add a minute each time after that. Brewed gongfu style it can go six to ten rounds. The first steep is often the least interesting, since rolled leaves take a round or two to open.

If your Oolong Tea doesn't taste right

Bitter or sharp? Lower the water temperature, especially for green, floral oolongs, or shorten the steep. If you're using a lot of leaf in a small pot, steeps should be counted in seconds, not minutes.
Thin or bland? The leaves may not have opened yet. Rolled oolongs need hot water and time, so try a quick rinse first, use water closer to 203°F (95°C), and expect the second steep to be better.
Smoky or burnt? Heavily roasted oolongs can taste charred when they're fresh from the roaster. Letting the tea rest a few weeks in an airtight container mellows it, and slightly cooler water helps.
Tastes stale? Green oolongs fade within months once opened. Keep them airtight, away from light and heat, and buy small amounts.

Ways to drink Oolong Tea

Green, floral oolong

Lightly oxidized teas like Tieguanyin and Taiwanese high-mountain oolong are floral and creamy, with notes of orchid and butter. Brew them at about 185–195°F (85–90°C).

Dark, roasted oolong

Heavily oxidized or roasted teas like Da Hong Pao and traditional Tieguanyin taste of stone fruit, honey, and toasted grain. Use water near boiling, 200–203°F (93–95°C).

Milk oolong

Jin Xuan, or milk oolong, has a natural creamy, buttery character; some versions are also flavored. Brew it like a green oolong.