Taiwanese Oolong Tea

烏龍

:

:Oolong Š Nicholas Cheng (WuJyun Cheng) 2020.

This is a first edition.

All characters, illustrations and text Š Nicholas Cheng (WuJyun Cheng) 2020 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information and storage retrieval system, without prior written consent from the author.

聽說台灣的烏龍茶在世界上聞名遐邇︐連英國 的唐寧都特地從台灣進口烏龍茶販售︐不過... 台灣的烏龍茶有什麼特別的呢︖ 究竟什麼是烏龍茶呢︖ 烏龍茶又是怎麼製成的呢︖ 大致上有哪些不同的味道呢︖ 該怎麼泡茶才正確呢︖ I've heard that Taiwanese oolong tea is quite famous in the world, even the pretty well-known British brand, Twinings, came to Taiwan to import the Formosa oolong tea from Taiwan to Britain especially. However...

What's the special about Taiwanese oolong tea?

What is the definition of oolong tea?

How to make them from leaves?

What kind of flavor and aroma do they have?

How to brew the tea "correctly"?

這就有很多事情可以解釋了︐首先︐由於台灣特殊 的地理環境與氣候︐在這片土地上種植的烏龍茶是 沒辦法被完全複製的︒烏龍茶也就是半發酵茶︐在 所有茶類的製程之中是最為複雜的︐包括不同的形 狀及風味︐這些讓我慢慢來跟你解釋︒ There are lots of things that I can tell you.

Firstly, all the semi-oxidated tea is called oolong tea. And because of the unique climate and the special location, Taiwanese oolong tea possesses a distinctive fragrance and taste.

Especially, the process of making oolong tea is the most complex than the others that every detail would affect the aroma and the taste. I would explain all of these to you.

台灣的地理位置位於熱帶與亞熱帶︐四面環海的 特殊氣候以及台灣茶多種植於中高海拔的山區︐ 合適的風向以及溫度濕度和陽光的交互作用下︐ 非常有利於製作風味複雜且高品質的烏龍茶︒ Taiwan lies on the Tropic of Cancer, and its general climate is marine tropical. The northern and central regions are subtropical, whereas the south is tropical and the mountainous regions are temperate. Most of the tea tree is grown up between mid-high to high altitudes. Appropriate wind, temperature, humidity, and sun make Taiwan have the best environment to develop high-quality oolong tea.

全發酵 Completely Oxidated

條索狀茶葉較注重香氣

球狀茶葉較注重滋味

The striped tea focuses on the aroma

The sphered tea focuses on the flavour

Around 90℃

Around 100℃

1st 45s Then 15s

45s

Black tea

部分發酵 Semi-Oxidated

Oolong tea

零發酵 Non-Oxidated

Green tea

Strong 調

果

漬

rm

Fe

ed

t en

水果調

Fruity

發酵程度

Oxidated Level

調

l

ra

o Fl

香

花

Light

而關於泡茶的方式沒有所 謂的正確與否︐所有的方 法都只是建議︒ There are different ways to brew the tea, and nothing is correct or wrong. All the advisement is just advisement. 我想我懂妳的意思了︐找到自己的 歡的方式放鬆泡茶才是最重要的︒ I think I know what is your mean, using the approach in which I feel relax is the most important.

所以認識各種烏龍茶的背景就變得 是一個重要的基礎了︐就讓我們來 了解烏龍茶的製程吧︕ So, knowing the background of different oolong teas become an important foundation. Let me explain how to produce oolong for you.

日光萎凋 Sun Withering 在茶菁採摘之後必須先在陽光下進行萎凋︐ 讓茶葉初步走水︒ After harvesting the tea leaves, the tea maker would put them under the sun to evaporate the moisture initially. 製茶師在這個步驟會 彎著腰溫柔的放置茶 葉︐避免從高處落下 的茶葉碰撞受傷︒ The tea maker would stoop to put the tea leaves gently to avoid hurting them.

室內萎凋

Indoor Withering

在這個步驟︐製茶師會將在陽光下的茶葉移至室內 繼續進行萎凋︐使茶葉走水完全︒ At this step, the tea maker would drag the tea leaves indoor, in order to help them evaporate the moisture completely.

製茶師在這個環節繼續細心呵護茶葉︐不時地翻動他們使 茶葉走水順利︒ The tea maker kept taking care of the tea leaves at this stage to make sure that the tea leaves could evaporate the moisture successfully.

所謂走水︐就是要讓水份在蒸發的過程中慢慢的把清甜的味道 從葉梗帶到葉子︐在這個過程中有些茶葉會因為放置過久而造 成走水不完全導致積水並造成死葉︒ The sweetness would be brought to the leaf from the stem by the moisture. In this process, the tea leaf might become the dead-leaf because being placed there too long and evaporate insufficiency.

製茶師不時的翻動他們就像 是把睡著的葉子喚醒︐使其 繼續走水完全︒ Therefore, the tea maker would flip them by hand just like wake them up to complete the evaporation.

浪菁

Tossing 利用滾筒狀的工具將走水完全的茶菁放 入轉動︐讓茶葉與茶葉之間產生摩擦使 其發酵︐製茶師在這期間需要利用經驗 適時的停止轉動並觀察茶葉︒ The tea leaves would be put into a roll and they would be rub by tossing, in order to oxidate. The tea maker needs to stop the roll at the perfect time by their mature experience.

製茶師會利用嗅覺確認茶葉散發出此時最清甜的氣味︐停止整個浪菁的步驟︐鎖住最好的味道︒ The tea maker would smell the odour to make sure that the tea leaves were tossed at the best level, which were fullfill the sweet smell, then they would stop and finish this step.

靜置

Setting

浪菁之後︐將茶葉靜置一段時間發酵至完美的味道︒ After tossing, the tea leaf would be placed for a while to oxidate.

殺菁

Fixation

當茶葉發酵至味道最適當的時候︐製茶師 會將茶葉放進炒菁機內殺菁︐讓味道鎖在 茶葉中︐停止氧化及發酵︒ When the tea leaves were oxidated to the most appropriate taste, the tea maker would put them into the machine to stop the oxidation and fix the odour and the flavour inside the tea leaves.

製茶師確認茶葉的溼度與最終的味道︐確保香氣與 滋味都鎖在茶葉裡後︐將茶葉從炒菁機中倒出︒ After making sure the best aroma and the flavour were locked inside the tea leaves, the tea maker would pour them out from the machine.

揉捻

Rolling 主要目的在於使茶葉成形︒ The main purpose of this step is shape the tea leaves.

乾燥

Drying 經過乾燥後︐條索狀的茶葉在 這個步驟就完成了︒ The stripe type of tea leaves were completed after drying.

如果要製成球狀的茶葉︐則需在初次揉 捻之後繼續進入壓縮與解塊的步驟︒ To make the sphered shape, the tea leaves need to be compressed and unraveled repeatedly after the rolling.

壓縮與解塊

Compress and Unravel

為了使茶梗彎曲︐這個 步驟會反覆5-6次︒ In order to bend the tea stem, this stage would be repeated 5-6 times.

布團揉

Rolling-in-Canvas 製茶師將茶梗彎曲的茶葉放入一塊布中︐經過一種稱做蓮花機的機器的協助製成一顆顆布球︒ The tea maker put the tea leaves into the canvas and used the machine, Lotus machine, to make a ball that is fulfilled with the tea leaves.

利用機器使布球更加緊實︐再進行解塊︐解塊完需要再一次做成 布球︐同樣的步驟需要重複5-6次將茶葉揉成球狀︒ Using another machine to make the canvas ball tighter, then unravel it. This stage would be repeated 5-6 times to make the tea leaves become sphered.

乾燥

Drying 經過乾燥後︐球型的 茶葉就完成了︒ The sphered tea leaves were completed after drying.

文山包種茶 Wenshan Pau Chong tea 文山包種茶採摘後發酵時間短︐並製成條索狀的茶葉︐有著相當清 甜的花香︐且觀察茶葉可以看出顏色明顯的由深綠變化至淺綠︒ Wenshan Pau Chong tea is a kind of light-oxidated oolong, the tea leaves are striped shape and the tea fulfills the sweet floral aroma.

Observing the tea leaves can see the gradual colour from dark green to light green. 包種茶強調其優良品種︐也稱種籽茶︐早期由於沒有抽真空的機器︐ 品質較好的茶葉都會用四方牛皮紙包起來防潮︐而“包起來的種籽茶” 就是包種茶名稱的由來︒ Pau Chong tea, in Chinese means "packaging the seed", this tea emphasizes the good quality of the leaves and people called it "seed tea". Long times ago, there was no vacuum machine so that the seller would use paper to package the tea when the customer bought it, which is the original of the name.

高山烏龍茶 High Mountain Oolong 高山烏龍茶的產區位於海拔超過一千公尺的高山上︐由於各座山不同的 風土︐細細品嚐會發現每個山區的茶都有著獨特的風味︐也就是所謂的 山頭氣︒ High mountain Oolong tea is grown up in the mountain over 1000 meters altitude. Every mountain has different soil and atmosphere, so the tea in different mountain might have its unique fragrance.

白毫烏龍 / 東方美人茶 Pekoe Oolong / Oriental Beauty Oolong 被小綠葉蟬叮咬過的茶葉不會再成長︐故東方美人茶的茶葉較嫩且保有 嫩芽上的白色毫毛︒ Bitten by the J. Formosana, the tea leaf would not grow up anymore.

So the Pekoe oolong tea leaf would retain the sprout's white fuzz. 葉子上的紅色就是小綠葉蟬叮咬過的痕跡︒ The red colour around the wound shows that the leaf was bitten by J. Formosana.

為了吸引小綠葉蟬的天敵獵蛛而產生的蜜香是白毫烏龍特有的風味︒ The special honey aroma of the Pekoe is the leaf distributes to attract the enemy of the J. Formosana.

凍頂烏龍茶 Tungtin Oolong 凍頂烏龍茶屬於經過烘焙的熟茶︐加熱後茶葉產 生梅納反應而具有堅果類或熟果類的甜香氣息與 滋味︒ The Tungtin Oolong belongs to the roasting tea, this tea has a strong nutty and fermented aroma and taste owing to the Maillard reaction through the roasting process. 現今大多用電加熱︐傳統則是在木炭上面鋪上一 層灰︐不同的木炭也會烘烤出不同的風味︒ Although most of the Tungtin is roasted by electric nowadays, some people prefer the Modern

Traditional

traditional way that heating by the charcoal with the ash because of the special aroma.

雖然只是粗淺的介紹︐但也希望這些資 訊可以讓你對烏龍茶有一些了解︒有些 知識會與時俱進︐而方才提到的那些都 算是一個讓你可以了解烏龍茶的契機︒ 最重要的︐茶是人與人之間溝通與聯繫 最好的媒介︐找個時間與身邊的人慢慢 的喝杯茶聊聊天吧︕ Although what I said is just a rough introduction, I hope this information could help you to understand much more about oolong. Some of the knowledge might be renewed time by time, and what I mentioned is an opportunity to learn deeper. The most important thing is that tea is the media to connect people, take some time to have a cup of tea slowly with your friends or family!

特別感謝

Many thanks to

Miers,John

Miers, John

Palmer,Greg

Palmer, Greg

Postle,Paul

Postle, Paul

翁家鈺

Naomi Wong

李盈霖

Nichiro Lee

許元舜

Yuan-Shun, Hsu

許益彰

Yi-Chang, Hsu

旅人茶濃

Tripper Tea

許元舜製茶廠（原昌製茶廠）

Hsu Yuan Shun tea garden

徐耀良

Yao-Liang, Hsu

徐維申

Wilson Hsu

徐耀良製茶廠

Hsu Yao Liang tea garden

楊智雯

Ria Yang

李英嬌

Ying-Chiao, Lee

正農茶行

Cheng Nung tea shop

我的家人

My family