Kamairi Oolong

Tea (Camellia sinensis)Oolongsub-style

Kamairi means pan-firing. In an oolong, this heating step follows partial oxidation, preserving a different tea identity from pan-fired green tea.

How kamairi oolong is prepared

Infused as a leaf tea. Oolongs can be prepared with a single longer infusion or several short steepings, with the water and leaf ratio adapted to the particular tea.

Cold Brewing

Beverages using this technique · 1
Royal Blue Tea
IRIKA Sapphire
Still amber0% ABV
prepared as Cold-Brewed Kamairi Oolong

Royal Blue Tea uses Cold-Brewed Kamairi Oolong in IRIKA Sapphire: kamairi Oolong infused in cold water.[5][6][7]

In depth

Reading the name

Pan-firing is used in oolong production as well as in some green teas. The oolong part of the name is important: this is a partially oxidized tea, distinct from kamairicha, the Japanese pan-fired green tea. A shared heating method does not make the two finished teas interchangeable. The complete name preserves that distinction between the two tea families.[1][2][3]

Oxidation and heat do different jobs

Oolong production allows some oxidation before heating and final drying. Timing, bruising and heat help shape the finished aroma. Pan-firing heats the leaves in a pan; moisture within the leaves also participates in this heating. The word alone does not establish a heavy roast or a particular flavour. Oolong as a family includes both fresh floral styles and darker roasted ones.[1][2][4]

Japanese tea context

Japan has traditionally concentrated on green tea, while domestic oolong production remains comparatively small. Kamairicha preserves a Japanese pan-firing tradition, especially in Kyushu, but it is green tea. These are two separate points of context: neither establishes where a particular pan-fired oolong was grown.[2][3]

Preparing the infusion

Oolong leaves can be infused once for a longer steep or several times in a small vessel. Successive infusions show how the aroma changes as the leaves open. There is no single temperature or leaf shape that defines every Kamairi Oolong: use the particular tea’s preparation guidance and retain any documented cultivar or origin with that tea.[2]

Part of Japanese Oolong Tea