What is Ti Kuan Yin oolong tea?
Ti Kuan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) is a well-loved and very popular Chinese oolong with its origins in Anxi. Anxi is a famous tea-producing region in China’s Fujian province, and Ti Kuan Yin Oolong is its brightest star. The processing of the tea is very elaborate and involves about a dozen steps. In fact, there are different types of Ti Kuan Yin oolong that vary in flavor, depending on the level of roasting and oxidation.
How is Ti Kuan Yin made?
The production of Ti Kuan Yin follows the traditional artisan way from start to finish. The harvested tea leaves are dried to remove some moisture, after which they are rolled by hand. They are then allowed to oxidize slightly before being slowly roasted. The hand-rolling, oxidizing, and roasting processes may be repeated multiple times, according to a particular recipe; the final result is a sublime oolong with a layered, complex flavor.
What is Ti Kuan Yin tea good for?
Sip a few cups of Ti Kuan Yin tea every day, and you won’t just be treating yourself to unique fragrances and flavors. You’ll also be enjoying a wide range of health benefits. Packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and vitamin E, this oolong prevents excessive oxidation in the body and brings free radicals down to a minimum. As a result, it has excellent anti-aging properties. Ti Kuan Yin tea has also been found to have excellent cancer-preventing effects, more so than other oolongs. Plus, with regular tea consumption, you can keep cardiovascular troubles at bay, maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and get to your target weight with relative ease.
What does Ti Kuan Yin oolong taste like? 
Ti Kuan Yin is a light to moderately oxidized tea with a mellow, smooth, floral taste, often described as “orchid” or “peach.” Most tea drinkers find this flavor “surprisingly sweet and floral,” with some “light buttery notes.” One can detect a mix of “the osmanthus, white flowers, and evergreen” in its lingering aftertaste, one that is best savored by waiting a few minutes between infusions. Ti Kuan Yin oolong produces a light-colored, transparent, aromatic infusion that “turns vegetal” with further steeping.
Tea tips
With its mellow, sweet taste and affordable price-point, Ti Kuan Yin is a perfect everyday oolong and a great tea for oolong beginners. Go for it if you want to try oolong and aren’t sure where to start. Some indicators of genuine Ti Kuan Yin:
- Tightly rolled tea leaves that take the shape of greenish-black semi-balls; the buds are covered with white tips.
- Unfurling of the tiny tea balls when submerged in hot water, revealing a single bud with one or two leaves.
- An infusion varying in color from light green to pale golden to amber.
- A mellow, sweet flavor with a “long” finish and lingering aftertaste.
- Try other Chinese oolong varieties. Phoenix Dan Cong and Da Hong Pao from Wuyi Mountains are some of the most famous.
Where to buy the best Ti Kuan Yin Oolong online?
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Fujian Ti Kuan Yin Ti Kuan Yin (also spelled Tieguanyin) is a legendary tea from the Fujian province and is one of China's most beloved oolongs. This loosely-rolled, lightly-oxidized (almost green) tea yields a pale-gold cup with a soft, buttery texture and orchid notes that linger to reveal the leaves' complexity. As the liquor cools, it reveals a sweet finish of honeydew melons. We highly recommend multiple steepings to fully open the hand-rolled leaves whose character will majestically evolve over three or four infusions. Harvest: Spring 2018. |
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Nonpareil Handmade Anxi Qing Xiang TieGuanYin Oolong Tea Strong orchid fragrance, sweet. When Anxi County is mentioned, the most common association is Anxi Tie Guan Yin, 'Iron Goddess' tea. It is well-known both at home and abroad as one of China's ten greatest teas. As tieguanyin can endure through a great number of infusions, all the while letting out a lofty, floral aroma, this tea is truly unique to drink. The aroma washes away the noise and stress of the city and leaves in its place the brisk fragrance of orchids, a mellow taste from the first sip to the last, and then the tea's characteristic sweet, throaty flavor and lingering aftertaste. |
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Tie Guan Yin “Iron Goddess” Oolong Tea Whenever Anxi County is mentioned, many people automatically think of Anxi Tie Guan Yin Iron Goddess tea, well-known both at home and abroad as one of the top 10 Chinese teas. This tea can withstand a great number of infusions, and will exude a lofty, elegant aroma the whole way through, resulting in a truly unique experience. |
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Iron Goddess Of Mercy Tea – Ti Kuan Yin Fruity, full, tart. A Chinese oolong tea that is storied to have grown on China's high hilltops amongst fresh streams and cool crisp air. Iron Goddess of Mercy is comprised of tender leaves that are gently basket tossed immediately after harvesting to rupture the cells for semi-oxidization. Trust us, you'll want to re-steep this. |
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Organic Iron Goddess of Mercy Tieguanyin Organic Premium Oolong. Organic Iron Goddess of Mercy Oolong, TieguanYin, is the famous tea that legend tells us was cultivated by the compassionate farmer Wei in order to raise money to restore the aging temple that housed the iron statue of Guanyin in Fujian's Anxi county. We love Organic Iron Goddess for its magical, smooth taste with a very delicate sweet touch. This premium Oolong is amazing through 4 to 6 infusions. Buy Organic Tieguanyin Oolong with our 100% satisfaction guarantee.Use 2 teaspoons of Organic Iron Goddess of Mercy to every one cup of just under boiling mineral or filtered water. The steep time for each infusion should be kept to 4 to 5 minutes. |
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Tie Kuan Yin Oolong Tea Organic Tie Kuan Yin Tea undergoes partial fermentation, producing a beautiful medley of black and green teas with lightly roasted curled leaves, and it has a full-bodied, smooth taste. Low in caffeine, one cup of oolong tea has 10-15% of the caffeine in a cup of coffee. A succulent tea sure to appeal to the senses of both the black and green tea lover. |
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Ti Kuan Yin Iron Goddess Oolong Tea Ti Kuan Yin Iron Goddess Oolong tea has a light 'airy' character with lightly noted orchid-like hints. This is an excellent tea to start your Oolong exploration, and begin to reap the health benefits of Oolongs. Note that some translations call this Te Kuan Yin. Luxury Ingredients:Oolong tea |
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Isabelle is a freelance writer, self-taught tea nerd, and tea blending enthusiast. She is a herbalist with a strong interest in Ayurveda. Each year Isabelle travels extensively, returning with tea samples from around the world. She is a big fan of handmade teaware and Japanese green teas.