Dong Ding Oolong

dòngdǐng wūlóng

凍頂烏龍

"Frozen summit" — the classic roasted oolong of Taiwan. Tightly rolled green-heart leaf, medium-oxidised and traditionally baked, giving a nutty, caramel cup with a floral lift.

Region: Dong Ding mountain, Nantou, Taiwan — 600–800 m
Harvest: Spring and winter flushes
Oxidation: Medium, traditionally roasted
Cultivar: Qing Xin (green heart) oolong

In the cup

Toasted nut and caramel over a floral, buttery sweetness, with a smooth body and a clean, lingering finish.

What it gives

A warm, rounded oolong — the gentle roast makes a soothing, low-astringency cup, comforting and easy to drink.

Dong Ding — frozen summit — is the classic of Taiwanese oolong, grown on its namesake mountain in Nantou and made from the Qing Xin “green heart” cultivar. It is the tea that set the Taiwanese style: tightly ball-rolled leaf, medium oxidation, and a traditional roast that distinguishes it from the greener high-mountain oolongs.

The roasting is what gives Dong Ding its signature. Where modern high-mountain teas lean floral and fresh, a properly baked Dong Ding turns nutty and caramel-sweet, the fire balanced so the floral character of the leaf still lifts through. Roast levels vary by maker, from light to deep.

In the cup

Brew hot, around 90–100 °C, with a quick rinse and steeps that lengthen as the tight balls unfurl. The cup is smooth and rounded — toasted nut and caramel over a buttery, floral sweetness — and it opens slowly over many infusions. A comforting, classic oolong for any time of day.

How to brew