King Hsuan Oolong

[baroness]

I picked up a 'tin' (round tube with two vacuum-packed bricks within) of JustMake King Hsuan Oolong, a semi-fermented formosa tea recently. The literature included the chart below, with suggested amounts of leaf and steeping times. However, there is no indication of the amount of WATER.

Any ideas?

[Will]

I wouldn't put too much stock in brewing directions of this sort, whether or not volume of water is included. Looks like this is a Jin Xuan style oolong.

These amounts of tea are fairly small to do so many infusions. What size brewing vessel are you planning on using for this tea?

[mbhank]

It's somewhat standard to use a heaping tsp. of the tea to 6-8 oz, of water. I usually steep for 3-5 minutes or until the color is what I like.

[Will]

It's somewhat standard to use a heaping tsp. of the tea to 6-8 oz, of water. I usually steep for 3-5 minutes or until the color is what I like.

Measuring tea by volume is difficult, because tea varies so much in terms of shape, leaf size, etc. Given that this is an oolong which is probably in a tight fist / ball shape, generic "one-size-fits-all" brewing instructions may not work that well. And with larger, more wire-shaped teas, using a heaping tsp will not give nearly enough leaf, even if brewing western style (less leaf, longer infusion times).

If I had to guess, I would say that the instructions are probably for about 100 ml of water.

[baroness]

I brewed my first pot 'western' style - 9 grams/2 rounded tsp. of leaves to about 450 ml of water for 4 min.

The leaves were green and indeed in a tight fist shape when dry, but almost fully opened during steeping.

The liquor was pale but very aromatic. Delicious!!! tea, with floral notes and a slight toasty base. Now I can see why the booklet included times for multiple infusions. I'll try that soon.

According to their literature, this is a fairly new tea:

"King Hsuan, also named Formosa Tea No. Twelve, is one of the revolutionary new varieties of tea plants formulated in 1981. It has become famous for its uniquely smooth, sweet, fragrant flavor married with a traditional refreshing aroma. It has a cool, silky texture. Semi-fermented and unscented, King Hsuan draws and extraordinary refreshing flavor. It is masterful integration of modern cultivation and nature."

I'm impressed with the quality/price ratio and will most likely try other teas of this brand.

[Richard Kilgore]

Where did you find these Oolongs, baroness?

[baroness]

Richard, I found them in a local Asian supermarket. No matter where I shop, I check out the tea department!

BTW, I re-steeped the leaves that I'd used 'western' style and found the second steeping wonderful as well.

So, I picked up their Tung Ding and another package of the King Hsuan. I'll be looking for the rest of their line.

[DjLau]

That's a pretty cool line of teas. I agree with the brewing instructions also. The 1st steep needs up to 1.5 min in some cases for the leaves to fully open.

A very short second steep allows the subtleties of Oolong's to be fully displayed.

[Ralphster]

I know, it's an old thread, but the internet is timeless...

 

First of all I'm pretty sure the amount of water is simply a cup. A quarter of a chinese tea spoon is pretty much a western spoonful. This way it makes total sense, based on what I learned from a taiwanese business friend who introduced me to taiwanese and chinese oolong teas. I use a gaiwan rather that ixing because you can flush it right out in a few seconds. Also I can use an enamelled gaiwan for more than one tea type.  

 

The steeping instructions are what the manufacturer believes is best to really enjoy all the subtleties and different faces of the tea. I would start to experiment after I practiced that recommendation at least a dozen times, to get to know the tea. I would recommend to use boiling water only for the first steep and about 95°C for the followings. 

 

As to the tea, I found it a better asian food shop in Hamburg, and thought that at this price (EUR 12 for two bags of 90 gr)  you couldn't find a decent King Hsuan, so my first approach was like with an everyday tea: starting with 80°C and getting down to 70-75. Not that bad. Only then I unfolded the brochure in the caddy to find the instructions posted above. Read like the instructions for a high class tea and in my opinion it is. It's not royal grade, but really excellent. I am really looking forward to other teas from that line.