Dongding Tea

Tea (Camellia sinensis)Oolongstyle

Dongding is a Taiwanese oolong associated with the Dongding mountain area of Lugu, Nantou. Its tightly rolled leaves and characteristic roasted cup distinguish the traditional style.

How dongding tea is prepared

Brewed as a leaf infusion, often with relatively hot water and repeated steepings that reveal changing flavours.

Cold Brewing

Beverages using this technique · 1
Royal Blue Tea
Fall in Love Deluxe
Still amber0% ABV
prepared as Cold-Brewed Dongding Tea

Royal Blue Tea uses Cold-Brewed Dongding Tea in Fall in Love Deluxe: dongding Tea infused in cold water.[5][6][7]

In depth

A name rooted in Lugu

Dongding began as the name of a mountain tea in Lugu, Nantou. The name is now also used for tea made in its characteristic style beyond that original growing area. Both pieces of information are useful: Dongding identifies the tea, while the particular garden or origin tells us where that batch was grown.[1][2]

The rolled leaf

Traditional Dongding has compact, tightly rolled leaves. Taiwan’s official tea guide describes them as round, dark green and glossy. The rounded form is visibly different from the long twisted leaves found in some other oolongs. Rolling is part of the craft; it does not by itself establish an exact oxidation percentage.[2][3]

Roast and mellow texture

The traditional cup is golden, rounded and mellow, with a distinctive roasted character. Accounts of Taiwanese Dongding also describe nutty, caramel and chestnut notes. The degree of roast varies with the finished tea, so these characteristics describe the style rather than a fixed recipe or a guarantee for every bottle.[2][4]

Successive infusions

Dongding is commonly brewed with hotter water and can be steeped several times. Successive pours reveal changes in aroma and texture as the rolled leaves open. A small vessel can make those changes easy to compare, but the leaf, water and timing should be chosen for the particular tea.[2][3]

Part of Oolong Tea

References

  1. [1]EncyclopediaDong Ding tea — Wikipedia↑§1
  2. [2]governmentSavoring Taiwan: A Journey Along the Tea Trail — Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, Taiwan↑§1↑§2↑§3↑§4
  3. [3]EncyclopediaOolong — Wikipedia↑§2↑§4
  4. [4]EncyclopediaTaiwanese tea — Wikipedia↑§3
  5. [5]Instagram@royalbluetea.japan — Aug 2, 2019↑prepared
  6. [6]Instagram@royalbluetea.japan — Jan 10, 2024↑prepared
  7. [7]Instagram@royalbluetea.japan — Oct 28, 2019↑prepared