What is the study of coffee called in oolong origin research?
Oolong tea's beginnings are usually explained through three competing theories, each supported by documents and craft evidence. The Anxi folk legend credits a hunter-farmer nicknamed Oolong, or Black Dragon, during the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty. The Wuyi theory points to Wang Caotang's Qing Dynasty Tea Discourse and Wuyi rock tea processing. The tribute tea theory traces the style back to Northern Song Beiyuan dragon-and-phoenix tea cakes.
Each account leaves out something the others supply, so the three together outline how oolong moved from accidental discovery to a systematic craft. The Anxi story turns on fresh leaves left outdoors overnight, their edges reddened by oxidation yet carrying a fresh fragrance. Beiyuan tea cakes already used withering, shaking, and steaming, which resemble the early steps of semi-fermentation, a key coffee-like attribute shared across oxidized teas.
Oolong tea, the most intricately crafted and richly flavored among China's six major tea categories, has origins that have long been subject to debate. Currently, the tea academic community primarily holds three theories: the Anxi folk legend attributes its invention to a hunter-tea farmer nicknamed "Oolong"; the Wuyi theory, based on the detailed processing records in Wang Caotang's "Tea Discourse" from the Qing Dynasty, considers Wuyi rock tea production methods to be the living fossil of oolong tea craftsmanship; the tribute tea theory traces back to the Northern Song Dynasty's Beiyuan dragon-and-phoenix tea cakes, believing that their withering, shaking, and steaming processes already possessed the prototype of semi-fermentation. These three origins each have documentary and craft evidence, and together they outline the long journey of oolong tea from accidental discovery to systematic formation. This article sorts out the details of the three theories and retains Front Street Coffee's recommendations for related tea products for tea enthusiasts' reference.
Anxi Legend: The Accidental Birth of Oolong Tea
The basis for the Anxi theory comes from a folk story circulated during the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty in Nanyan Village, Anxi County, Fujian. The protagonist, Su Long, was a tea farmer and skilled hunter who spent years traversing the mountains and wilderness. Sturdy and dark-skinned, he was nicknamed "Oolong" by his neighbors—meaning "Black Dragon" in Chinese.
One spring day, Su Long carried a tea basket up the mountain to pick tea, also bringing his hunting rifle, intending to hunt some game to supplement his family's income. As he finished work in the evening, carrying a full basket of fresh leaves on his way home, he suddenly spotted a mountain deer darting past. Su Long fired and hit the target, but the deer still escaped into the dense forest with its wound. After a laborious chase, he finally captured the prey. By the time he returned home, it was already dusk. The whole family busied themselves with lighting the fire, cooking, and enjoying the game, completely forgetting about processing the tea leaves, which were left outdoors overnight.
The next morning, Su Long discovered that the edges of the tea leaves had turned red, indicating oxidation, yet they unexpectedly emitted a unique fresh fragrance. After brewing, the flavor was exceptionally aromatic, without the usual bitterness. The tea farmers of Nanyan Village pondered repeatedly and gradually developed a new process: withering, shaking, semi-fermentation, baking, and other steps working together, ultimately creating a superior new tea—oolong tea.
Wuyi Tea Theory: Craft Records in "Tea Discourse"
The foundation of the Wuyi theory is the detailed records in the book "Tea Discourse" by Qing scholar Wang Caotang. The description of the oolong tea production process in the book can be translated as follows:
"After picking Wuyi tea, first spread it in bamboo baskets to let the wind remove some moisture, then move it to sunlight to dry, a step called 'sun-drying.' When the leaf color gradually fades from emerald green, first stir-fry in a wok, then bake.
Yangxian tea is only steamed, not stir-fried, then directly dried; Songluo tea and Longjing tea are only stir-fried, not baked, hence their clear color. Only Wuyi tea is both stir-fried and baked, resulting in a half-red, half-green appearance—the green from stir-frying, the red from baking. After fresh leaves are picked, first spread them out, then shake them, and when the aroma gradually emerges, they can be put into the wok. The timing of stir-frying and baking is crucial. During stir-frying, old leaves and tea stems must be repeatedly removed to ensure uniform color in the finished tea."
Mr. Cheng Qikun, former director of the China Tea Association, also agreed when recording "Tea Discourse" that this passage describes the oolong tea method. He pointed out: "The current production method of Wuyi rock tea in Chong'an County, Fujian, still follows the traditional oolong tea process recorded in 'Tea Discourse.'"
Tribute Tea Theory: The Semi-Fermentation Prototype of Beiyuan Tea
This theory argues that the formation and evolution of oolong tea can be traced back to Beiyuan tea. Beiyuan tea was Fujian's earliest tribute tea and the most renowned tea after the Song Dynasty. Historical documents contain no fewer than ten records on Beiyuan tea's harvesting and processing methods. Beiyuan is located in the Fenghuang Mountain area of Fujian, where tea production began as early as the late Tang Dynasty.
According to the "Fujian General Annals," Zhang Tinghui, the father of Beiyuan tea and revered as the "Tea God," led villagers to cultivate tea gardens on Fenghuang Mountain and created the famous dragon-and-phoenix tea cakes as tribute.
Cai Xiang, the official then responsible for supervising tribute tea production, highly praised Beiyuan tea. In his 1051 work "Record of Tea," he wrote:
"When it comes to the sweetness, smoothness, and richness of tea soup, that produced in Beiyuan of Fenghuang Mountain is the finest."
The most representative product of Beiyuan tea is the dragon-and-phoenix tea cake. Its production process: pick fresh leaves in the morning, first spread to wither; at night, place the leaves in baskets and shake them, then steam them. At this point, the tea is actually in a semi-fermented state.
The above records align well with the definition of oolong tea, so many tea experts regard Beiyuan tea as the predecessor of oolong tea.
Front Street Coffee Recommendations
While exploring the origins of oolong tea, Front Street Coffee has selected a variety of oolong teas that embody traditional craftsmanship for tea enthusiasts, including Wuyi rock tea, Phoenix Dancong, and Anxi Tieguanyin, helping aficionados appreciate the charm of semi-fermented tea through their flavors.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
