tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326672.post7881208850240190479..comments2024-03-29T22:34:35.681+08:00Comments on Tea Masters: Aging and improving tea, a conference in BrusselsTeaMastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02433657904904185875noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326672.post-16989415831732140812012-05-29T10:30:16.763+08:002012-05-29T10:30:16.763+08:00Thanks, Stephane. That is very helpful.Thanks, Stephane. That is very helpful.Israelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09815074098217048456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326672.post-20279248775197267812012-05-28T12:37:54.696+08:002012-05-28T12:37:54.696+08:00Hi Israel,
There are many possible routes for Ool...Hi Israel,<br /><br />There are many possible routes for Oolongs to become too roasted:<br /><br />1. on purpose, because many tea drinkers are fooled into believing that 'charcoal roasted' means that the Oolong will look and taste like charcoal. Such heavy roasted oolongs often also are sold as old oolongs.<br /><br />2. Re-roasting leftovers. Roasting is often necessary, because that that is not properly stored is impacted by the humidity in the air. (This is true for tea that is packaged in bulk, in big packs. The store opens these bags several times a day to make small packs for their customers. They don't always close these packs right away...) And when the new, fresh Oolongs come, most customers don't want the unroasted Oolongs from previous seasons. So, that's when they are roasted to reduce their moisture and to give them a different taste. (Another problem is that if the oxidation level was very low, as if often the case nowadays, it's difficult to roast without burning the leaves). And if this Oolong leftover didn't sell, they'll repeat the roasting next year... until the leaves are so roasted that they have no freshness left.<br /><br />3. Time is money. Roasting Oolong takes time. The fastest way to roast Oolong is to roast at a high temperature for a short time. This produces 'fire' and carbonized tastes. Some may find this strong taste interesting, but I find a mellow, slowly roasted oolongs much more pleasant. That's how the freshness is best retained. <br /><br />I hope this answers your questions!TeaMastershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02433657904904185875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326672.post-34718476454603603632012-05-26T02:54:17.722+08:002012-05-26T02:54:17.722+08:00Hi Stephane,
I've been wondering recently why...Hi Stephane,<br /><br />I've been wondering recently why many of the "aged" oolongs I have tried have seemed unpleasantly carbonized. You suggest in your post that re-roasting is unnecessary and merely a means for tea sellers to deal with unsold goods. Do you mean that they take un-roasted tea that they have not managed to sell and then roast it as a means of preserving it for future sale? I'm curious if it is this re-roasting that is responsible for turning tea into charcoal. I guess I'm a bit unsure why vendors wouldn't just take unsold oolong and seal it properly in order to age it. Why do they roast it over and over again?Israelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09815074098217048456noreply@blogger.com