Steeping time for whole leafs

[skilfautdire]

Would an oolong made exclusively of whole leaves require a longer steeping than one made from broken, chopped leaves ? Also, are such oolongs made from whole leaves much more expensive ? - Thanks.

[Sirwill]

Whole leaf teas definitely require a longer steeping time compared to a broken leaf tea. A longer steeping time allows the tea to impart its full flavor into the water.
As far as price goes, if you look on the internet or even some local tea shops you can find pretty good deals on whole leaf tea. Also, whole leaf tea is more economical because of multiple steepings!

[debunix]

Would an oolong made exclusively of whole leaves require a longer steeping than one made from broken, chopped leaves ?

I don't think I've ever seen an oolong made from broken, chopped leaves.

I've seen plenty of oolong leaves that, as they unfurl, reveal edges that are irregular and plenty of tiny bits that are the crumbled edges accumulate at the bottom of my cup, but have never seen on composed of deliberately chopped leaves--nothing like a CTC black tea.

[entropyembrace]

When I was first starting with tea I had some very chopped oolong....it looked like it was harvested with a lawn mower

[debunix]

Like a sencha?

[entropyembrace]

Like a sencha?

yeah, but it was brown like houjicha

it was supposed to be wuyi oolong.

[debunix]

it was supposed to be wuyi oolong.

Surreal.

[Leo_Blue]

When I was first starting with tea I had some very chopped oolong....it looked like it was harvested with a lawn mower

I had a green tea that said "Green Tea" on the label when I was first starting out... I think it was supposed to be sencha, but wow was it awful. And it looked much like what you described. Just like lawn clippings. In fact the taste was much like what fresh mowed lawn smells like... plus a TON of bitterness.

[skilfautdire]

I don't think I've ever seen an oolong made from broken, chopped leaves. I've seen plenty of oolong leaves that, as they unfurl, reveal edges that are irregular and plenty of tiny bits that are the crumbled edges accumulate at the bottom of my cup, but have never seen on composed of deliberately chopped leaves--nothing like a CTC black tea.

This is a tea I was given from someone. And so, it is a Tenfu box of TGY and Bi Luo Chun. One of those boxes, to paraphrase Terry Gilliam in "Time Bandits" that looks like the most fabulous object in the world. Complete with satin-like inside presentation and magnetized closing tabs. To me the leaves do not look whole. Maybe I should actually spread them, but here are they look like.

tenfutea1.jpg (33.02 KiB) Viewed 1177 times

tenfutea2.jpg (43.21 KiB) Viewed 1177 times

[TwoPynts]

Ya gotta love someone who quotes from Time Bandits.
Yep, those certainly don't appear to be whole leaves.