About Oolong Teas

The Production of Oolong Tea

Around the globe these are almost exclusively produced in China and Formosa (Taiwan), yet we are producing several very good Oolongs right here at Light of Day. Oolong teas fall between the non-oxidized green teas and the fully oxidized black teas. They are processed to be full-bodied teas, and are therefore made from larger, more mature leaves. We produce our Black Oolong in the Autumn and early Winter here in Michigan. Because our White Oolong originates from a White Tea, we produce this one in the Spring and Summer months while the tea plants are budding.

Shop Oolong Teas

Oolong Teas are partially oxidized or teas (think of an apple slice turning brown)

Step 1: Withering

Immediately upon plucking, the leaves are spread out in direct sunlight to wither for about 30-40 minutes. Withering reduces the moisture content and softens the leaves.

Step 2: Bruising

The leaves are then put into bamboo baskets and shaken briskly to bruise the leaf edges and “jump start” the oxidative process.

Step 3: Oxidation

In the next step, the leaves are spread out in the shade (outside, or indoors) to dry for about 6-8 hours. The process of shaking and spreading of the leaves is repeated numerous times. The bruised leaf edges begin to turn red through the oxidation process while the centers of the leaves remain green.

The amount of fermentation depends on the type of Oolong and can vary from approximately 16% for a “green” Oolong, to over 60% for a classic Formosa Oolong.

Step 4: Pan-Firing

Once the desired level of oxidation/ browning is reached (sometimes still inaccurately referred to as “fermentation”), the process must be halted immediately. This is done by pan-firing the leaves at high temperatures to kill the enzyme in the leaf, which does result in some further oxidation.

Our favorite iced tea is our “Bumble Blossom Oolong” a classic Formosa-style Oolong base with many peach notes, with the addition of Red Clover blossoms grown here on our farm.

The “straight” Oolongs that we grow and offer in a limited edition series are our “White Oolong” (an “Oriental-Beauty” style) and a rich “Black Oolong” (full leaf more deeply oxidized) version, also in limited amounts.

Established in 2003, Light of Day's operations are 100% powered-by sunshine; the gold standard of renewable energy.