"Frozen Summit" Dong Ding Oolong Tea (Taiwan)

The Emperor of All under Heaven once asked the wise tea master Lao Cha:

– Tell me, what happened to the seed of the tea tree from the famous Wuyi Mountain that we sent to Taiwan almost two hundred years ago?

– It did very well, your majesty. It was planted in the dense forest on the frozen summit of Dong Ding Mountain, 1000 meters above sea level. There it acquired its unmistakable fruity, honey, and caramel-like taste. You’ll feel like you are having a cookie when you drink this tea.

One exceptional Taiwanese tea is Dong Ding Oolong, and it is indeed a well-known Taiwanese favorite. Other notable names for this loose-leaf oolong tea are Tung Ting, Frozen Summit, or Frozen Peak.

Legend has it that a young student from Lugu township went to Fuzhou to attend an exam in the Qing dynasty. As he was poor, he received sponsorship from a man of the same clan called Lin Sanxian. The student offered him twelve of the thirty-six Qing Xin oolong tea seedlings he had collected from WuYi Shan while in Fujian to repay his kindness. Lin Sanxian planted those tea seedlings on the foothills of Dong Ding Mountain, bringing both the tea cultivar and the habit of tea drinking to Taiwan.

The environment where the tea grows directly correlates to the name "Frozen Summit." In fact, "Dong Ding, or "frozen Summit, is the name of the mountain itself. There, farmers plant tea trees at 1000 meters of altitude. The tea garden gets plenty of sunshine in the mornings, but fog covers it entirely in the afternoons. Indeed, this is a unique attribute of the Dong Ding area. High altitude, dense forest, and good soil naturally create favorable growing conditions for tea trees. Thus, the above factors result in the intense, easily recognizable oolong tea taste and the sweet aftertaste of a typical Dong Ding Oolong Tea.

Farmers produce our Dong Ding Oolong using traditional production methods. To illustrate, a classic version of Dong Ding Tea involves roasting it at a low temperature for several hours. The result is an incredibly comforting, toasty taste with multiple complex layers of flavor and aroma. However, nowadays, many farmers also choose to make a non-roasted version of this tea because it is much easier to produce and because many enjoy the slightly more floral taste.

When sipping this Taiwanese tea, enjoy the sweet and fruity taste of the lightly peach-colored brew. A clear fragrance with overflowing osmanthus notes will mark a smooth entrance for this tea experience. The flavor will further transform, revealing the warming taste of freshly baked oatmeal cookies, nutty nuances, and sweet flowers going down the throat, only to return as an elusive yet unmistakable aftertaste that can last for hours ahead.

Classic Taiwanese oolongs like our Dong Ding Tea come tightly rolled into balls. We recommend choosing a teapot that gives it ample space to open and expand. Gaiwan is also quite suitable for brewing this delicious Asian tea.

• Place of Origin: Dongding, Lugu Township, Nantou County, Taiwan
• Altitude: 1000m
• Harvest Date: April 2023
• Roast: Medium
  
• Picking Standard: One bud with one or two leaves
• Aroma:  Oatmeal cookie aroma
• Taste: Sweet, roasted flavor with fruity notes. Slight caramel and honey finish.
• Cultivar: Qing Xin (aka Ruan Zhi / TRES #17)

Brewing guidelines: