chin shin oolong tea

Organic "Chin Shin" Oolong Tea

(Also called Chin-Shin Oolong and TTS No.17)

Oolong teas fall into 3 broad categories: Green oolongs and dark oolongs, depending on the processing of the picked tea leaves, and flavored oolongs which blend the tea with additional flowers, fruits or other flavoring agents. Chin Shin Oolong is a mellow and refreshing green oolong which brews a tea with a mildly fragrant aroma.

Chin Shin oolong is one of the most popular oolong teas worldwide. While all teas originate from one of two botanical classifications of 'Camellia Sinensis', different varietals of the tea plant have been developed to suit local growing conditions and taste preferences. Taiwan, perhaps more than any other region, has turned the science of specialty tea varietals into an art form. Over a period of decades a series of oolong tea cultivars were perfected in Taiwan and have become among the most prized oolong teas inside and outside of the country. (The TTS No. 17 refers to a precise if inelegant naming system used by tea researchers to improve tea varietals: "Taiwan Tea Experiment Station 17").

Chin Shin Oolong is a tea that offers consistently good cuppings and is a favorite tea for new and well established admirers of oolong teas.

What are the Health Benefits of Oolong Tea?

Honestly, oolong teas are as healthy as green teas and black teas. Due to their unique partially oxidized processing they may have some other health properties as well. Unfortunately, oolong, or "wulong", teas have been dishonestly marketed by some companies as having slimming properties whose claims are far in excess of the reality. We would rather you enjoy the character and flavor of the tea - the health benefits are a bonus and it is certainly healthier than other heavily sweetened and caffeinated beverage choices. This medical website sums up the known healthy properties of oolong teas.

How to Prepare Your Chin Shin Oolong Tea

Some teas easily conform to our contemporary grab-n-go lifestyle, oolong teas do not - they want you to slow down, for 20 minutes, at least. The most traditional serving instructions are indeed a ceremony (we'll post a separate web page on the gongfu ceremony soon).

For everyday drinking, heat the (filtered if possible) water to 180˚F and add one teaspoon loose leaf tea per cup (apprx. 8 ounces). Oolong tea leaves expand a lot while brewing, leave enough room for the tea leaves to open. First pour some hot water and rinse the leaves quickly once and then add water for the first infusion of the tea leaves for 1–2 minutes, depending on taste preference. Oolong teas can be infused many times. The infusion time can decrease slightly with each subsequent infusion.

INGREDIENTS: Organic oolong tea leaves. Origin: Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Other teas you would enjoy: Earl Grey with Rose, Orange Citrus Green, Milk Oolong

A ZEN TARA EXCLUSIVE: This Chin Shin Oolong tea is a Taiwan tea plant cultivar grown in Northern Thailand at the Suwirun Estate for over 30 years and certified by the Organic Thailand program. Our team travels to this tea estate annually to review the growing and processing of their specialty oolong teas. The majority of the exported tea of the Suwirun Estate is sent to Japan, France, Spain and England and it is rarely available here in the United States.

GO TO: black teas, oolong teas, white teas, flavored teas, herbal teas, chai's, flowering teas, iced teas