Many espresso drinkers like roasted oolong tea. It shares some traits with espresso, resembling nuttiness and a wealthy physique. And similar to espresso, how lengthy the tea is roasted vastly influences its style. Final yr, I made a decision to experiment with roasting my very own oolong tea. In spite of everything, I’ve been house roasting espresso since 1998.
Why not roast tea as properly?
Earlier than we dive into the roasting, let me cowl what oolong tea is for individuals who would possibly solely be accustomed to inexperienced and black teas. A easy definition is that inexperienced tea is a tea that has not been oxidized (0%), whereas black tea is a tea that has been totally oxidized (100%). Oolong tea represents the center floor, in any other case often called semi-oxidized tea. The Tea Processing web page on Wikipedia states:
This tea’s oxidation is stopped someplace between the requirements for inexperienced tea and black tea. The processing usually takes two to 3 days from withering to drying with a comparatively quick oxidation interval of a number of hours.
The oxidation proportion of oolong tea might be low or excessive. The decrease oxidized teas are usually brighter, and the upper oxidized ones have a richer physique, which is nearer to black teas. Many tea drinkers, myself included, gravitate in the direction of oolongs. We love the flavors and fragrances usually not present in inexperienced and black teas. That’s the fundamental clarification of oolongs. I’ve added hyperlinks within the reference part beneath for these wishing to be taught extra.
Oolong Tea
To Refresh, To Roast
Oolong teas like different perishable gadgets can go stale over time and lose taste. Tea also can take up the odors that encompass them if saved improperly. If a tea began with an excellent taste and has gone flat, a brief decrease temperature roast can deliver it again to life. That is referred to as refreshing the tea.
Though every tea will fluctuate relying on age and oxidation stage, a fundamental refresh recipe is roasting it within the oven at 200 F for 20 minutes. I discovered that as fantastic because the refresh method is, you’ll be able to’t deliver again to life a tea that’s too stale or by no means had an ideal taste to start with.
As soon as the refresh portion is full, you’ll be able to proceed to the roast. This includes slowly growing the temperature. How lengthy you roast the tea is as much as you. If you happen to just like the “roasty” taste, take the roast longer. I like to search out the stability between the intense traits of the oolong and the toasty flavors that develop through the roast.
Time to Roast Some Oolong Tea
To roast oolong tea at house, you solely want an oven, a cookie sheet, and a few oolong tea. To get began, I like to recommend utilizing a lighter, reasonably priced oolong, resembling a Jade oolong. Ranging from one thing gentle and brilliant and shifting towards a darker, toastier tea will spotlight the variations you’ll get through the roasting course of. It’s completely acceptable to tug out tea at completely different factors and brew it up through the roast. I encourage you to do this.
In the course of the roast, I’ll pull the tea out of the oven just a few occasions and stir it so the roasting is even.
A typical oolong roast profile will begin at a low temperature and regularly enhance. You probably have expertise house roasting espresso, my recommendation is to chill out and be affected person. Roasting tea takes for much longer than espresso. Once I first began roasting, I targeted an excessive amount of on creating an optimum temperature profile. As a result of each tea is completely different, it’s higher to be taught to deal with colour and scent. By the best way, the scent of roasting oolong tea is wonderful. Pull samples through the roast and brew. You’ll be taught rapidly how roasty you want your tea, and in case you under-roast one thing, you’ll be able to at all times roast it longer later.
Step
Temp F
Minutes
Profile
1
200
20
2
225
15
3
240
15
4
265
15
A
5
275
15
B
6
285
15
C
Within the desk above, I used three roast profiles (A, B, and C) for my Jade Oolong. Your occasions will almost definitely differ relying on the oolong you roast, your oven, and your private style choice. Utilizing the desk is to start out on the first row and work down the desk, adjusting the temperature for the desired time. With every step, the temperature is elevated. Don’t neglect to tug the tea out of the oven and stir periodically. This may make sure the roast is even.
This was my setup for figuring out tea roast profiles.
Closing Phrases
Like house espresso roasting, you should buy a devoted tea roaster to discover this interest. I do know some tea retailers which have their mini bamboo tea roasters. They do higher than oven roasting, however a cookie sheet is okay in case you roast small batches of tea. The mini tea roasters are greatest for bigger volumes performed at tea retailers.
Espresso continues to be our past love at INeedCoffee, however many people love our sister beverage nearly as a lot.
3 oolong roast ranges
Assets
What’s Oxidation? – Article by Tony Gebely explaining tea oxidation.
Oolong – The Wikipedia web page on Oolong tea does a superb job highlighting the several types of oolongs and their completely different fragrances.
Tea Processing – Wikipedia web page.
Miro Tea—Whereas experimenting with roasting oolong, I obtained steering from my native tea store, Miro Tea. They hosted just a few tastings of my roasts, and I used the tasting notes to enhance my roast profiles.
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