| The history of tea in china can be traced back to | | | | by hand, doing only 250 grams every half hour. The |
| Three Thousand years ago. Tea had been used for | | | | tea-cauldrons are heated electrically to a temperature |
| the "Offer Sacrifices" to Gods or the ancestors. | | | | of about 25oC or 74oF. It takes four pounds of |
| A new Chinese tea plant must grow for five years | | | | fresh leaves to produce one pound of parched tea. |
| before its leaves can be picked and, at 30 years of | | | | How Oolong Tea is produced |
| age, it will be too old to be productive. The trunk of | | | | Manual production method supported by tradition and |
| the old plant must then be cut off to force new | | | | craftsmanship. |
| stems to grow out of the roots in the coming year. | | | | The production of delicious oolong tea requires |
| By repeated rehabilitation in this way, a plant may | | | | time-honored tradition and outstanding craftsmanship. |
| serve for about l00 years . | | | | Tea leaves are picked on the morning of a clear day. |
| For the fertilization of tea gardens, Soya-bean cakes | | | | They should be picked in units consisting of one bud |
| or other varieties of organic manure are generally | | | | and three leaves and exposed to the sun. This is the |
| used, and seldom chemical fertilizers. When pests are | | | | first stage. The second stage is to dry them indoors |
| discovered, the affected plants will be removed to | | | | to promote fermentation. The most crucial part in |
| prevent their spread, and also to avoid the use of | | | | the production of oolong tea is when to stop |
| pesticides. | | | | fermentation. As oolong tea is fermented to some |
| The season of Chinese tea picking depends on local | | | | extent, it is called semi-fermented tea. |
| climate and varies from area to area. On the shores | | | | Experience is required to identify the best time to |
| of West Lake in Hangzhou, where the famous green | | | | stop the fermentation, which is when the leaves are |
| tea Longjing (Dragon Well) comes from, picking | | | | 30% red and 70% green. After this, they are rubbed |
| starts from the end of March and lasts through | | | | repeatedly to generate good flavor, aroma, and |
| October, altogether 20-30 times from the same | | | | texture. Then they are dried using charcoal. At the |
| plants at intervals of seven to ten days. With a | | | | final stage, a tea master grades the quality according |
| longer interval, the quality of the tea will deteriorate. | | | | to the flavor and characteristics of each batch. |
| The new leaves must be parched in Chinese tea | | | | China’s Fujian Chaye Jin Chukou Gongsi (Tea |
| cauldrons. This work , which used to be done | | | | Import and Export Corporation and Fujian Tea |
| manually, has been largely mechanized. Top-grade | | | | Association) exports oolong tea to Japan. |
| Dragon Well tea, however, still has to be stir-parched | | | | |