Spring 2025 Light Roast Dong Ding Oolong- 30 grams

Another example of a lightly oven roasted Dong Ding. This one came from a distributor friend in Pinglin who was tasked with doing a deeper roast on a batch of Dong Ding. He offered me a taste of the lighter roast before it went through the full roasting process, and I thought it was pretty unique.

It has a really nice nutty flavor and a warming quality that I find uplifting yet grounding at the same time. It’s smooth, balanced, and a great introduction to this special style of Oolong.

So I grabbed a small amount to expand my own Dong Ding palate and share it here with others who want to do the same.

Brewing

I really like this tea brewed Gong Fu style in a gaiwan or small clay pot. I usually just add leaves by feel, but around 2 to 3 grams in a small to medium gaiwan is a good place to start.

With Dong Ding, I was taught in Taiwan to use boiling water. I usually let the first infusion go for around 45 seconds and then add another 20 to 30 seconds with each steep. You should easily get five or more good infusions from the leaves.

If you’re brewing in a mug, use around 2 grams of tea in a strainer for an 8 ounce cup. Steep for about a minute, or longer if you like it stronger, and then keep resteeping the leaves. You won’t get quite the same experience as brewing Gong Fu style, but you’ll still get a great cup of tea.

If you’re new to Gong Fu Cha, I put together a free guide that walks you through brewing tea in small pots over multiple infusions. You can download it here:

https://ojasnaturals.myshopify.com/products/gong-fu-tea-guide