Does Milk Oolong Contain Milk?

[edkrueger]

Does Milk Oolong Contain Milk?

[scruffmcgruff]

I think true milk oolong naturally produces the milky flavor, but the majority of it is flavored with milk, AFAIK.

[edkrueger]

I'm allergic to milk, that is why I ask.

[hop_goblin]

I am not 100% certain but I believe milk oolongs are those from the Jinxuan cultivar. It is a relatively new oolong cultivar which are said to have a creamy flavor and texture. Of course I could be mistaken.

[edkrueger]

I thinks its from the 80s. So milk oolong refers to that cultivar not to any milk. I often see "milk infused" advertised on web pages. Hop, how do you know all this stuff?

[hop_goblin]

I thinks its from the 80s. So milk oolong refers to that cultivar not to any milk. I often see "milk infused" advertised on web pages. Hop, how do you know all this stuff?

I have a knack for remembering what I read I guess. I really do study tea.

[Victoria]

No milk. A sudden change in the weather (cold snap) accounts for the milky flavor.
Have no fear! Enjoy!

[scruffmcgruff]

I believe these are all correct answers, BUT AFAIK only for the authentic non-scented nai xiang oolong. There are no guarantees when it comes to imitators.

Nai Xiang Oolong is a scented tea from Taiwan. The name Nia Xiang means "Milk Fragrant", and as its name suggests, this tea is characterized by a distinct milk-like fragrance and taste. [Emphasis added. Source.]

I am worried by the adjective "scented." Generally speaking, this is another word for "flavored" (yes I know, not exactly, but whatever), so it may contain milk and I would be concerned if you are allergic enough for it to be an issue. It could just be a bad translation/ choice of words on their part, though.

You might try contacting vendors directly. Still, though the vendors would more than likely give honest answers, the tea biz is a shady one so I wouldn't necessarily trust their suppliers.

I admit the wording isn't entirely clear, but I don't think I'm being too alarmist about it. I guess it depends how strong an allergy you have.

[Salsero]

This was all talked to death earlier this year at

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t= ... ilk+oolong

ABx even links to an older thread on the same topic. There is some debate, but most of the stuff out there is scented. I doubt if the scented stuff contains any actual milk, but who knows!

OK, I asked Daniel at TeaSpring about their Nai Xiang "milk oolong" and here is his reply:

Yes, the flavor (flavoring) is added after the tea is processed. It is not natural.

His tea looks very much like what I have, and I think confirms my suspicion that this taste/aroma is not naturally occurring.

[Victoria]

And this:

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t= ... ilk+oolong