What temperature should water be for Tieguanyin?

185–203°F (85–95°C). Green, floral Tieguanyin is best around 185–195°F (85–90°C); roasted Tieguanyin wants water near boiling.

How long should you steep Tieguanyin?

3 to 5 minutes in a mug or teapot. Brewed gongfu style, with more leaf, start at 20–30 seconds and add a little each round.

How many times can you steep Tieguanyin?

Three or four times in a mug, and six to eight brewed gongfu style. Add a little time to each infusion.

Is Tieguanyin green tea or oolong?

It's an oolong. Modern Tieguanyin is lightly oxidized and looks and tastes green, which is why it's sometimes mistaken for green tea.

Does Tieguanyin have caffeine?

Yes, usually about 30–50 mg per 8 oz cup, between green and black tea.

Should you rinse Tieguanyin?

It helps. Pour hot water over the leaves, wait a few seconds, and pour it off. The rinse starts opening the tightly rolled leaves so the first real steep is fuller.

How to Brew Tieguanyin

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

About Tieguanyin

Tieguanyin, or Iron Goddess of Mercy, is one of China's most famous oolongs, from Anxi county in Fujian province. The leaves are rolled into tight, dark green balls that unfurl into whole leaves in hot water. Modern Tieguanyin is usually lightly oxidized and green; traditional versions are more oxidized and roasted. Legend has it that the goddess Guanyin led a farmer to the original tea bush in a dream.

What it tastes like

Modern green Tieguanyin is floral and creamy, with notes of orchid, lilac, and fresh butter, and a sweet, lingering aftertaste. Traditional roasted Tieguanyin is warmer and deeper, with notes of honey, stone fruit, and toasted grain.

Step by step

Measure your tea Use about one teaspoon of Tieguanyin 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

Watch the leaves unfurl. Good Tieguanyin opens into large, whole leaves, often with the stem still attached.
Green Tieguanyin fades within months of opening. Keep it airtight and away from light, and buy small amounts.
Smell the empty cup after drinking. The floral aroma that lingers is one of the marks of a good Tieguanyin.

Timer

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

Tieguanyin

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Other ways to brew Tieguanyin

In a mug or teapot

Use about one heaping teaspoon (2–3 g) per 8 oz (240 ml) cup; the rolled balls are dense, so it looks like less than it is. Use water at 185–203°F (85–95°C), cooler for green Tieguanyin and hotter for roasted, and steep 3–5 minutes. Give the leaves room, since they expand to several times their size.

Gongfu style

Use about 7 g in a 4 oz (100–120 ml) gaiwan or small pot. Rinse the leaves with hot water and pour it off. Then steep 20–30 seconds, pour it all out, and repeat, adding 5–10 seconds each time. Good Tieguanyin gives six to eight infusions.

Iced Tieguanyin

Brew double strength, about 5 g in 8 oz (240 ml) of hot water for 4 minutes, and pour over ice. The floral notes come through beautifully cold.

Cold brew

Use about 5 g per 8 oz (240 ml) of cold water and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. The rolled leaves open slowly in cold water, so give it the full time.

Can you re-steep Tieguanyin?

Tieguanyin is made for re-steeping. In a mug, it gives three or four infusions; add about a minute each time. Brewed gongfu style, it can go six to eight rounds. The second and third steeps, once the leaves have opened, are often the best.

If your Tieguanyin doesn't taste right

Bitter or sharp? For green Tieguanyin, use cooler water, around 185–195°F (85–90°C), and shorten the steep. With a lot of leaf in a small pot, steeps should be counted in seconds.
Thin first cup? Tightly rolled leaves need time to open. Rinse them first, and expect the second steep to be fuller.
Lost its floral aroma? Green Tieguanyin is best within a few months of production. Keep it airtight, and some drinkers keep unopened packets in the fridge.

Ways to drink Tieguanyin

Green (qingxiang) Tieguanyin

Lightly oxidized and barely roasted. Bright, floral, and creamy. Brew at about 185–195°F (85–90°C).

Traditional (nongxiang) Tieguanyin

More oxidized and charcoal-roasted. Honeyed, toasty, and warming, and it keeps longer. Brew with water close to boiling, about 200–203°F (93–95°C).

Aged Tieguanyin

Roasted Tieguanyin kept for years and sometimes re-roasted. Deep, smooth, and woody, with notes of dried fruit.