Chinese and Taiwanese oolongs – ‘deliciously’ different. We love them, don’t we?! But are we able to know which is which?
A bit of intro
Oolong teas are so versatile… from a green, balled appearance and sweet, floral flavour to a dark brown, left-loose appearance and caramelised, fruity flavour. Most of us would choose one or the other depending on the day of time or the occasion. Compared to other types of teas, we can brew oolongs multiple times.
Among the most famous Taiwanese oolongs are the Gaoshan or High Mountain teas, Pouchong (also called Baozhong), and Oriental Beauty (or Dongfang Meiren).
As for famous Chinese oolongs, these are Iron Goddess of Mercy (or Tie Guan Yin), Big Red Robe (or Da Hong Pao) and Phoenix Honey Orchid.
A bit of history
Chinese oolongs (since the Song Dynasty: 960-1279) are a much longer history than Taiwanese oolongs (since the 18th century). Taiwan’s first tea plants came from China’s Fujian province.
Although originally the Taiwanese were making their teas using the same methods as the Chinese, in time, the local tea masters started developing their own methods and making teas with a distinct aroma and flavour profile than the Chinese ones. Added to that is the development of new cultivars.
At present, Taiwan produces around 1/5 of the global oolong teas.
Chinese vs Taiwanese oolongs – key differences
When it comes to green/balled oolongs, the way to differentiate the Chinese tea from the Taiwanese tea is by through the presence of stalks – Chinese oolong doesn’t have stalks/stems, while the Taiwanese oolong does. In addition, Chinese oolongs are more oxidised, which results in a full-bodied liquor with little to no astringency. On the other hand, Taiwanese teas have a honeyed, floral taste and aroma.
Only China makes dark oolongs, mainly in the region of the Wuyi Mountains.
The much higher price tag of Taiwanese teas relative to Chinese teas is not necessarily an indicator of better quality, but the outcome of higher standards and cost of living in Taiwan and limited supply of tea. The higher purchasing power of people in Taiwan leads to 2/3 of the tea produced being consumed within the country. Moreover, the supply of Taiwanese tea is much lower than that of China’s. Hence, the limited amount of Taiwanese teas available to us here explains the high price.
Despite the higher price, I prefer the Taiwanese green oolongs to the Chinese ones. In my view, the high altitude at which the plants grow in Taiwan gives the tea an edge over their Chinese rivals. And I am delighted with the dark oolongs, which face very little competition from outside China.
