An Authentic Milk Oolong
Nai Xiang, literally “milk fragrance” is a Taiwanese high-mountain oolong made with the Jin Xuan cultivar of camellia sinensis. It is known not only for it’s milk-like mouth-feel, but also for it’s cream like flavor and aroma.
Many so-called “milk oolongs” have popped up on the market having been artificially flavored. In 2010, Roy Fong, owner of the Imperial Tea Court traveled to Taiwan and discovered several variants of it’s production. From what he discovered, I am seeing three different things all being called “milk oolong” in order of legitimacy:
- True Jin Xuan oolong with natural creamy mouth-feel.
- Jin Xuan grown with a home-brew fertilizer made from milky substances.
- Artificially flavored milk-oolong, flavor added after initial processing.
Photo Credit: Roy Fong, source: http://camelliasinensisblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/roy-reports-from-taiwan-milk-oolong.html
So how do you tell if you have a true milk oolong? I think that if you have experienced one with an overwhelming aroma and flavor, it was likely artificially flavored. Another way to spot artificial flavors in tea is to note if the flavors last from steeping to steeping or if they diminish after one steeping.
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Looking forward to that U.S. based site because you have a lot of products that I want, but would rather not pay for the long trek from China. Thanks for the info.
This sounds great. I must try it soon. Thanks!
it sounds like something I’d like to do a taste test with my friends and throw up the video..just to hear their reactions to it!
Is it a high mountain oolong? They tend to have a certain silkiness, but I wouldn’t describe the mouth-feel as creamy. I’ll have to get some of this stuff to check it out.