At a glance
Dong Ding is a Taiwan oolong associated with Lugu in Nantou. Rolled leaves and roast are useful clues, but the name does not promise one fixed roast or a competition award. Ask what growing area and style the actual packet describes.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 冻顶乌龙 |
| Tea family | Oolong tea |
| Associated origin | Lugu, Nantou, Taiwan |
| Leaf form | Tightly rolled, substantial semi-ball or ball-shaped oolong leaves |
Taste and appearance
The original profile describes a refreshing cup, fresh elegant aroma and lasting returning sweetness. Its prose mentions green-gold liquor while the sensory table ranges through pale orange-yellow. Roast and preparation explain why products need not look or taste identical. The old imperial-bath claim is not part of this drinking guide.
The original infused-leaf photo is withheld because identical pixels were assigned to another tea name. Its named identity could not be confirmed; the original file is preserved.
The cover is the original dry-leaf illustration. These images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of origin, grade, age, authenticity or image rights clearance.
Grade characteristics
This preserves the earlier Chinese edition’s sensory comparison. It is not a complete verified current standard table and does not grade your packet. Plant material, growing area, processing and grade are separate details. Decorative star rankings are omitted.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare the grades.
| Feature | Extra grade | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Tight, substantial pellets | Tight, fairly substantial pellets | Fairly tight pellets |
| Dry-leaf colour | Lustrous deep green with brown tones | Fairly lustrous deep green/brown | Reasonably lustrous deep green/brown |
| Liquor | Pale orange-yellow and bright | Orange-yellow and bright | Orange-yellow, reasonably bright |
| Aroma | Rich | Fairly rich | Reasonably rich |
| Taste | Sweet, mellow and full | Full and fairly mellow | Full |
| Infused leaves | Fairly soft, bright brown-green | Reasonably soft, tender stems, fairly bright brown-green | Slightly firm, some stalks, reasonably bright brown-green |
These retained tiers are not Lugu competition award classes. Colour and rolled shape alone do not establish a prize, origin or roast level.
Names and origin
The earlier entry names Fenghuang, Yonglong and Zhangya villages in Lugu, including the Dongding area. These are local associations, not an exclusive source certificate for every tea sold with the name. Growing locality, cultivar, roast and a competition result need separate product information.
Everyday benefits
Brewed without added sugar, this is an ordinary tea drink that can be an alternative to sweetened drinks and contribute to fluid intake. It contains caffeine. These everyday properties do not establish that this named tea treats disease, lowers blood sugar or improves sleep. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed here.
Who may enjoy this tea
Try it if you want to explore a substantial rolled oolong and compare roast styles. Choose a small sample by its actual aroma and roast description rather than the translation Frozen Summit alone.
When to take care
- Caffeine sensitivity or sleep problems: consider your total intake and timing if tea affects your sleep. A pale infusion is not a caffeine-free claim.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicines: ask a clinician or pharmacist about your actual product, caffeine intake and relevant medicine instructions.
- Iron supplements: follow the medicine’s instructions about separating tea from the dose. Do not use tea as treatment for anaemia.
These are product and individual considerations, not a blanket ban based on traditional “hot” or “cold” labels, age, sex or a constitution category.
How to brew
Original prose: porcelain gaiwan or clay pot
The original prose gives a porcelain gaiwan or clay pot, 1:15 tea-to-water ratio, 100°C / 212°F, preliminary wetting/rinse and a 20-second drinking infusion before decanting. It does not specify a measured dose. The example below makes the ratio explicit; its amounts are editorial arithmetic, not measurements inferred from the picture.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 6 g of Dong Ding as an editorial example |
| Actual water | 90 mL / about 3.0 US fl oz, measured for the drinking infusion; 6 g at 1:15 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe porcelain gaiwan or suitable clay pot with room for leaves and actual water |
| Water temperature | 100°C / 212°F |
| First drinking infusion | 20 seconds, then decant completely; account for filling/pouring time |
| Preliminary wetting/rinse | Separate from the drinking infusion, not a validated disinfection step |
Use your actual packet’s complete directions first. These inherited methods and editorial examples are awaiting hands-on testing. The original seven-or-more-infusions statement is not a guarantee of equal-strength cups. Nominal teaware capacity is not actual added water after leaves displace space. Let the drink cool enough to sip; a steeping time is not a measured safe drinking temperature.
Read the original illustration separately
The drawing uses about one-third of vessel volume as dry-leaf bulk, 100°C water and an immediately discarded preliminary infusion. The first three drinking infusions are about 30 seconds, with later infusions extended by 10–20 seconds. Gram dose, actual water and vessel capacity are not stated. Its five-or-more-infusion and clay-pot preference notes are not a guarantee or a requirement to buy new teaware.
For ordinary teaware, see brew without a gaiwan. Keep one complete method together rather than mixing gram dose, water and timing from different recipes.
Adjust your cup
| What you notice | One change to try |
|---|---|
| Too strong, bitter or drying | Separate the liquid from the leaves; shorten contact time or use less tea next time |
| Weak or watery | Keep the measured water fixed and try a longer infusion before changing the leaf dose |
| Later infusions become stronger | Check whether liquid was left sitting with the leaves |
| Different from a flavour description | Compare the actual product and method; a description is not a promise for every cup |
Change one variable at a time. For a fuller sequence, see fix a disappointing first cup.
How to buy
Ask for Lugu or other stated growing-area information, cultivar, harvest and roast. If a competition award is claimed, check the event, year and actual award label; the old three-column sensory table is a different comparison.
See buy your first Chinese tea for packet comparisons.
China price reference
Undated figures retained from the Chinese edition, in Chinese yuan (CNY). No original brand, batch, harvest or quotation date was recorded. These inherited China-edition figures are CNY, not New Taiwan dollars (TWD), and do not describe a current Taiwan retail quote. These are not verified current retail quotes, a market average or manufacturer-suggested retail prices.
| Chinese-edition tier | CNY per 500 g (one jin) | Equivalent CNY per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Extra grade | 800 | 160 |
| Grade 1 | 620 | 124 |
| Grade 2 | 400 | 80 |
Per 100 g is an arithmetic conversion, not a quoted packet. Do not infer a missing sensory or price tier. Compare actual growing area, style, harvest, roast, weight and channel. A currency conversion does not make a UK or US retail offer comparable to a China historical figure.
How to store
Original storage method
For unopened small pouches, the source places the sealed pouches inside a tin. For bulk tea, it uses a foil pouch with excess air gently removed and the seal closed, followed by a lidded tin or porcelain container. Its vacuum-packing option is a packaging method, not an instruction to crush brittle leaves in a home vacuum sealer. Keep it cool, dry, away from smells, moisture and light.
The earlier tea-table or bookshelf example assumes those conditions; choose a cupboard if the shelf is sunny or near kitchen steam. The historical targets were below 25°C / 77°F, below 50% relative humidity, and a general 24–36-month shelf-life reference. These are legacy figures, not a freshly verified expiry or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. Follow the actual product label and seal/storage conditions.
In a UK or US kitchen
Keep daily use away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam and spice containers, and reseal after each use. Roast style and packaging vary; do not carry a different oolong’s refrigerator advice into this packet without checking its label. No home re-roasting or ageing guarantee is prescribed. See storing an opened packet for everyday handling.
Origin, processing and history
The original map shows sun-withering, cooling, leaf-working, heating, rolling, initial drying, repeated ball-rolling, further drying and roasting. It is a simplified rolled-oolong process, not a record of this packet or a fixed roast schedule.
Common questions
Does Dong Ding mean a dark, heavily roasted tea?
It does not specify one fixed roast level for every packet. Ask for the maker’s roast description and compare like-for-like products. A rolled shape does not by itself establish roast intensity, growing site or a competition grade.
Can I move one number from this recipe into a different vessel?
Keep leaf form, measured dose and actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. A nominal capacity or dry-leaf bulk fraction is not a measured ratio.
Compare Jin Xuan, or browse the oolong tea overview.
Editorial notes and updates
Updated 16 October 2026. Valid original descriptions, sensory comparisons, prose and image methods, storage handling, China price figures and usable pictures are retained with their scope. Doubtful medical, ranking and exact historical claims are revised or omitted. Current full grade clauses and historical prices are not certified. Original Chinese-labelled graphics have English reading notes; no TeaPlain tasting or brewing test is claimed. Internal research and image audits record the decisions.