What is Oolong Tea?

There are many kinds of Oolong teas. Oolong teas are greenish in color with a touch of red, although the tone of red depends on the choice of tea. Oolong teas tend to have a wheat-like aroma with a hint of something like wet twigs and grass, and have a salt-like flavor without being salty. They are smooth, strong teas. You will feel a hardening on your lip when you drink an an Oolong tea, especially on the front part, as if a layer of skin on your lips is tightening. Oolong teas are not dry; indeed, they are very watery and make your mouth secrete a lot of saliva long after finishing your cup. One of the more popular and famous of the Oolong teas is T'ieh Kuan-yin, known as Iron Buddha. "T'ieh" means metal or iron, and Kuan-yin is the Goddess of Mercy in Buddhism. A distinct trademark of a premium grade T'ieh Kuan-yin is a frost-like white layer on the surface of the leaves.

Brewing Instructions

Oolong tea may be prepared in a regular teapot, an Yixing clay pot, or in individual cups. Use about 1 tsp per cup (8 oz.) of water heated to about 80°C (176°F). Infuse for 2-3 minutes and pour off. The leaves may be resteeped 1-3 times.

The Story of T'ieh Kuan-yin

There are two versions of how T'ieh Kuan-yin came to be named. The first is about a farmer, who was a very faithful Buddhist follower. Every day the farmer made a fresh cup of tea as an offering to the statue of Kuan-yin. One night he dreamed that the goddess came to him and told him of a small tea plant located in a crack on a cliff face. She told him he could take the plant home and grow it so that he and his descendants could enjoy the tea. Most importantly, he was not to be selfish and had to share the tea with everyone else. The faithful farmer did as he was told and called the tea Kuan-yin to honor her name. The word "T'ieh" was added because the dark green leaves of the plant are heavy and their edges are tinged with red like rust on metal.

The second story is about a scholar who, after failing the imperial exam­ination, spent each day climbing the mountains to enjoy the scenery at sun­set. One day he noticed a branch growing from a crack in some rocks. He took the plant home to cultivate in his garden. The plant thrived in his garden and he enjoyed its aroma so much that when he next took the examination he gave the officers gifts of the tea. They too enjoyed the tea and presented it as gifts to higher officers, who were also impressed and in turn presented it to their superiors. Eventually, the emperor himself, the famous Chien Lung of the Ching Dynasty, was given the tea. Wanting to know its origin, the emperor summoned the scholar, who told him that the tea was grown under the Kuan-yin rock and weighed as much as metal. This was how the emperor named it T'ieh Kuan-yin.

Iron Buddha Tea

Great teas are yours in the making. 5,000,000 years for some.

It is said that great teas are made in the tea field. But how are great tea fields cultivated? That question is nothing less than a passion of ours. Before any tea-making techniques were developed, there was terroir, also known as the soil. Altered by faultiness, weathering, and erosion, the land was filled with mineral deposits. 5,000,000 years later, this resulted in a place perfect for tea plantation. How these factors affected the soil is what gives the tea leaves their bountiful flavor characteristics. And that’s why, for us, making great tea is not so much science, as it is history. The Iron Buddha Tea from Fah Guo Mountain Tea series reflects this passion.

Full-bodied and extremely rich with intenseness. It is tea paradise. Remarkably smooth, uniquely tranquil. Iron Buddha Tea is the Rolls Royce of Chinese tea.

AnXi Oolong

There is little in the world more alluring than a cup of AnXi Tea. Centuries of tea growing and blending mastery, combined with a unique terrain and climate, give birth to refinement and equilibrium of a highly enticing nature. AnXi Tea has a sunny, tingling acidity with a mild caramel flavor. The complicated washed-method of fermenting and drying the tea leaf creates this juicy tartness and clean refreshing finish. Its vigorous nature will give your morning a boost and your spirits a lift.