Introduction:Want to enjoy a refreshing Tieguanyin or a crisp cold-brew oolong in the summer, but always get confused about tea categories, water temperature control, and brewing time? This article starts with the classification of green tea (qing cha) into raw and ripe types, explains why some teas benefit from a pre-warming rinse, and then provides both official and advanced brewing guidelines for cold brew and ice steeping of oolong tea — including tea-to-water ratio, water temperature, and steeping time for each infusion. It also covers the origin of Baozhong tea, how it differs from oolong and green tea, and even the common English names, so you can master brewing techniques from beginner to advanced level.
To brew a Tieguanyin or oolong tea suitable for chilling or cold brewing, you first need to understand the classification of green tea. Green tea, commonly known as oolong tea, is also often referred to as high mountain tea in Taiwan. Depending on fermentation and roasting levels, it can be broadly divided into two main categories: raw tea and ripe tea.
Raw tea refers to oolong tea with a greener liquor color and lighter fermentation. It has a fresh and crisp flavor profile, making it ideal for those who prefer a light taste. Ripe tea, on the other hand, undergoes roasting or high-temperature oxidation, resulting in a darker liquor with rich aromas and notes of caramel or honey. Common examples found in the market, such as Dongding Oolong, Tieguanyin, Wuyi Rock Tea, and Red Oolong, mostly fall into this category.
For ripe tea varieties, it is especially recommended to perform a “warming rinse” (also called a pre-warm or awakening rinse) before the actual brewing. This involves simply rinsing the leaves with water for about 10 seconds. Also known as tea awakening, this step helps to release the tea’s aroma and remove any potential off-flavors, ensuring smoother and more authentic flavors in subsequent infusions.
Next, we’ve compiled two practical sets of oolong tea brewing parameters — an official standard version and an advanced adjustable version — to help readers choose based on their personal taste preferences.
The official brewing recommendation focuses on mastering three basic elements: first istea-to-water ratio,where a golden ratio of 1 gram of tea leaves to 50 milliliters of water is recommended for wide applicability; second iswater temperature,with freshly boiled100°C waterrecommended to fully extract the tea aroma; and third issteeping time,with suggested durations for five infusions being 60 seconds, 50 seconds, 60 seconds, 80 seconds, and 120 seconds, which can be slightly adjusted according to the condition of the tea leaves.
If you prefer a stronger flavor or want to achieve sufficient taste with less water, you can refer to the advanced brewing method. Its core principle is “fast brewing, quick infusion, more tea leaves.” The recommendedtea-to-water ratiois lower, around 1 gram to 30 milliliters or even less, resulting in a richer tea liquor;water temperatureis also maintained at 100°C; whilesteeping timeis adjusted to 20 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, and 25 seconds, with each subsequent infusion slightly longer to help balance the overall flavor profile.
In addition, many tea enthusiasts are also curious about Baozhong tea, especially how it differs from oolong and green tea, as well as its correct English name. Baozhong tea originated 140 years ago in Anxi, Fujian, founded by Wang Yicheng. At that time, the tea was packed with two square sheets of rough-edged paper — one inside and one outside — with each packet containing 4 taels of tea, then wrapped in a rectangular paper package labeled with the tea name and merchant’s name. This is the origin of the name “Baozhong tea.” Later, the term “Baozhong” gradually came to specifically refer to this semi-fermented strip-shaped tea.
Broadly speaking, the “Wenshan Baozhong tea” refers to the “Wenshan” area in northern Taiwan, including Pinglin, Xindian, Shenkeng, Shiding, Pingxi, Xizhi, and Nangang. The semi-fermented strip-shaped tea produced in these regions is called Wenshan Baozhong tea. Baozhong tea and oolong tea both belong to the semi-fermented tea category, but Baozhong tea is usually strip-shaped, with a fermentation level of about 15% to 30%, whereas oolong tea is often ball-shaped or semi-ball-shaped, with a fermentation level of about 35% to 50%. As for green tea, it is completely unfermented — such as Longjing and Biluochun — which are directly fixed after harvest to retain the most original tea flavors.
As for the English translation of Baozhong tea, there is currently no unified usage. Common translations include Pouchong tea, Paochung tea, BaoZhong tea, or Bao-chung Tea. If specifically referring to Baozhong tea from the Wenshan area, the English expression often includes “Wenshan,” such as Wenshan-Pouchong tea or Wenshan-BaoZhong tea, but spelling and usage remain quite diverse, so it's best to adjust according to context.
In summary, whether you’re looking to chill Tieguanyin, DIY cold-brew oolong, or dive deeper into the history and differences of Baozhong tea, mastering tea classification, appropriate tea-to-water ratios, water temperature control, and steeping times are key to brewing a great pot of tea. These foundational skills apply not only to traditional hot brewing but can also be flexibly used in making various iced tea beverages, allowing you to confidently handle all kinds of oolong brewing scenarios.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
