Giving Oriental Beauty Oolong at Christmas: What to Brew on the Day and After

The oolong lover who unwraps Premium Oriental Beauty Loose Leaf Tea at Christmas will brew it on the day and again through the quiet days after. The tea is a single-origin Taiwanese oolong from Hsinchu, and a few brewing numbers decide what ends up in the cup. Those numbers, plus the pairings and the pouch sizes, are what a giver needs in hand. Sections below cover the first gongfu session, a Western-style cup, pastry and cheese pairings, the quiet days after Christmas, and choosing a pouch size.

The First Gongfu Session on Christmas Day

The leaf is the Qing Xin Da Mao cultivar, grown at 300–800 meters above sea level and hand-picked as one bud, two leaves in the summer harvest. Natural jassid-induced oxidation and a light charcoal finish develop the notes, and no flavoring is added. Every note in the cup is natural.

For a gongfu session, use 3.5–5g of leaf per 180–250 ml of water at 190–200°F (88–93°C). Steep the first infusion for 2–3 minutes, then add 15–20 seconds to each infusion after it. One measure of leaf is suitable for 4–6 infusions.

Let the kettle settle off the boil before pouring. Fully boiling water can mute the tea's delicate notes, and water just off the boil does not.

Expect honeycomb, white flowers and ripe orchard fruit on the aroma. The cup is silky and naturally sweet, with apricot, peach and floral depth, a medium to full body and a deep amber-gold liquor.

A Western-Style Cup Without the Gongfu Setup

Western style takes 1 tablespoon (about 3.5g) of leaf per 8 oz cup at 190–200°F (88–93°C) for 2–3 minutes. That gives a single cup from one steep on Christmas Day or any day after. Caffeine is moderate.

Because the tea is loose leaf, the leaf gets measured and the steep gets timed. There is no tea bag shortcut. The tea suits someone comfortable with that routine, and the finish rewards it: long, clean and naturally sweet, with lingering warmth.

Pastry, Cheese and Fruit Beside the Cup

Christmas Day brings baking, cheese and fruit to the table, and the tea has a match for each. Fruit pastries such as apricot tart, peach galette or fruit crumble sit well beside its apricot and peach notes. Light sponge cakes, madeleines or shortbread work as baked goods.

For cheese, brie or camembert pairs with it. For fruit, fresh peach, apricot or nectarine does the same.

Cold Brew and Repeat Sessions in the Quiet Days After Christmas

The quiet days after Christmas leave room for the other brewing methods. Cold brew uses 5g of leaf per 600 ml / 20 oz of water, refrigerated for 8–10 hours. The result is a clean, naturally sweet iced tea.

A repeat gongfu session starts with fresh leaf and the same ratio, temperature and infusion times as the first day. Western-style cups fit in between.

Choosing a Pouch Size for the Days After

The tea comes in 10g, 30g, 60g and 120g pouches. The 10g pouch is mainly for trying several sessions, not for long-term use. At 3.5–5g of leaf per gongfu session, pouch size sets how many sessions the recipient gets.

A recipient who will keep brewing past the holiday is generally better served by one of the larger pouches.

Final Thoughts on Giving Oriental Beauty at Christmas

The deciding variable is how long the recipient will keep brewing, since pouch size sets the number of sessions. A reasonable default is a pouch larger than 10g, a gongfu session on Christmas Day, and Western style or cold brew in the days after. You can explore the full brewing details on the Premium Oriental Beauty Loose Leaf Tea page.

Merry Christmas from DAE Tea, and happy brewing through the quiet days after.