Est. 1956 · The Order The independent guide to oolong: the partly oxidized teas, and how to brew them. Oolong.biz
THE ORDER OF THE SEVENTH STEEP SEMPER PARTIM OXIDATUM The Order of the Seventh Steep
The Order of the Seventh Steep
OOLONG
Semper Partim Oxidatum Always partly oxidized

Tagged: terroir

Article · science

The Rock in Rock Tea May Not Be Where the Flavor Comes From

A 2025 study went looking for what makes Wuyi's priciest rock-zone tea taste different and found soil minerals alone could not explain it. The strongest match was a lichen-forming, rock-weathering fungus and a photosynthesizing bacterium, and even the scientists who found them will not call it proven.

Jul 24, 2026 →
Guide · Regions & Origin

Oolong Regions and Origins

The canonical geography of oolong across its four classic origins: the Wuyi cliffs and Anxi in Fujian, the Phoenix mountains of Guangdong, and the high mountains of Taiwan, with the terroir, cultivars, and elevations that separate them.

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