Oolong Tea Processing Questions

by S.M. Changoiwala
(KOLKOTA, India)

Hello to Dear Julian Tai, thanks a lot for this educative news letter! I will be obliged if you kindly let me know the following, with reference to Oolong Processing - A Beginner's Guide

Your article part is put in quotation marks.and questions are put as Q1, Q2 etc

Oolong Tea Processing #1:

Harvesting (Caiqing)

Oolong tea leaves are picked 3 to 4 times a year in spring, summer (once or twice) and autumn.

Autumn tea is also known as winter tea.

It is made from more mature leaves consisting of one bud with 3 or 4 leaves.

They are picked when buds at the top of bushes mature to half the size of a fully grown leaf."

Questions

Q1 in general, what are the starting dates and finishing dates for spring, summer and autumnal harvests?

You said spring teas are harvested 3-4 times.what is the plucking days interval betrween 1st and 2nd harvest, 2nd and 3rd harvest, and 3rd and 4th harvest.In Darjeelng we follow a plucking round of 4-7 days.

Q2-Plucking days interval in 1st and 2nd harvest of summer ?

Q3- any skiffing or pruning operation done to the tea bushes after harvesting spring, summer and autumnal teas.

Q4- are the tea bushes pruned annually or bienally? what is the pruning cycle ?

"Oolong Tea Processing #3: Bruising (Zhuoqing or Yaoqing)

This shaking-resting process is then repeated several times. "

Q1 How many times , in general, the shaking and resting is done

"Wonder why oolong tea lasts many more infusions than green tea? Slow baking makes oolong tea lasts longer."

Q1- Are you sure that " the slow baking process is responsible for more infusions" ?

Thanking and looking forward to hear from you,

S.M. Changoiwala

Director,

Gopaldhara Tea Co Pvt Ltd.

KOLKOTA

India