Milk Oolong

Milk oolong is a new cultivar, created in the 1980s by the Taiwanese Tea Research Station. Cultivar stands for “cultivated variety” and is a term used to describe a tea that has been especially cultivated to yield certain characteristics: in this case, a rich creamy mouthfeel and butterscotch notes. This tea undergoes a distinct process to release the milk oolong flavours. The leaves are placed in round canvas bags and rolled in special machines, then heated briefly in a tumbling machine, before being returned to the bag and rolled again until the correct roll is achieved. The leaf is then fired to stop further oxidation, reduce the moisture content and create small balls, which unfurl during infusion to show beautiful big leaves. With oolongs, especially rolled oolongs, it is important to rinse the leaf first– that is pour the correct temperature of water over the leaves and fill the teapot to the top and discard all the liquid immediately. Then brew as above. The rinsing stage removes any dust but more importantly hydrates the leaf and allows all the fabulous flavours to be released. At Dorothy’s Teas, we love this tea for its flavour and versatility. Try infusing in cream or milk to make panna cotta, custards or ice cream, as a base for milk shakes, or even to braise apples or pears in.