How to Drink Oolong Tea: Caffeine, Cups a Day and Brewing

In short: Oolong is drunk plain, without milk or sugar, from a small cup, and the same leaves are brewed several times. A standard cup holds roughly 30 to 50 mg of caffeine, about half of a cup of coffee, so two to four cups a day is the usual comfortable range for most adults. Brew it at 185 to 205°F (85 to 95°C), start with short steeps, and drink it after a meal if a strong tea on an empty stomach does not agree with you.

This guide answers the questions people ask most: how much oolong to drink, when, with or without food, and how to brew it so it tastes the way it should.

What oolong tea is, in one paragraph

Oolong sits between green and black tea: the leaves are partly oxidized, from about 15% to 80%, then shaped and often roasted. Light oxidation gives floral, buttery teas such as Ali Shan or Tie Guan Yin; heavy oxidation and roasting give deep, mineral teas such as Da Hong Pao. The whole, tightly shaped leaves open slowly, which is why oolong is made for several short infusions rather than one long one. Browse the full range on our oolong tea page.

How much caffeine is in oolong tea?

A typical 8 oz (240 ml) cup of oolong contains roughly 30 to 50 mg of caffeine. For comparison, the same cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg, black tea 40 to 70 mg, and green tea 20 to 45 mg. The exact number depends on four things you control:

• Leaf amount. More grams per cup means more caffeine. Western-style brewing uses about 2 to 3 g per cup; gongfu brewing uses 5 to 7 g for a small pot, but each pour is tiny.
• Water temperature and time. Hotter water and longer steeps pull out more caffeine. A 30-second rinse removes very little; most of it comes out across the first three infusions.
• Infusion number. Later infusions carry less caffeine than the first two, so a whole gongfu session is closer to one strong mug spread over an hour.

There is no caffeine-free oolong. If you are sensitive to caffeine, keep oolong to the morning and early afternoon and switch to a herbal infusion in the evening.

How many cups of oolong a day?

Most adults are comfortable with two to four cups a day. That keeps total caffeine from tea in the 100 to 200 mg range, well under the 400 mg a day that health authorities commonly cite as a moderate intake for healthy adults. If you also drink coffee or energy drinks, count those too.

Can you drink oolong every day? Yes. In Fujian and Taiwan it is the everyday tea. The habit to copy is the pacing: small cups, several infusions, spread across the day, rather than one large mug gulped quickly.

When to drink oolong, and with what

Oolong is traditionally served after a meal or with food. Light rolled oolongs pair well with seafood, steamed dumplings, fruit and mild cheeses. Roasted oolongs stand up to roast meat, mushrooms, nuts and dark chocolate. Drinking it with or after food also matters for comfort: strong tea on an empty stomach can feel harsh for some people. If a cup upsets your stomach, have it with breakfast or lunch instead of first thing, use a little less leaf, and shorten the steep. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take medication that interacts with caffeine, ask your doctor how much tea is right for you.

The best time of day for flavor is mid-morning or early afternoon, when your palate is fresh and the caffeine will have worn off by bedtime.

How to brew oolong tea

There are two ways. Both work; the second shows far more of what the tea can do.

Western style (one mug or teapot)

1. Use 2 to 3 g (about 1 heaped teaspoon of rolled oolong, 2 teaspoons of long roasted leaf) per 8 oz (240 ml) of water.
2. Heat water to 185 to 195°F (85 to 90°C) for green rolled oolongs and 200 to 205°F (93 to 96°C) for roasted ones.
3. Steep 3 minutes for the first cup, then 4 and 5 minutes for the second and third. Good oolong gives three full mugs from one measure of leaf.

Gongfu style (small pot or gaiwan)

1. Put 5 to 7 g of leaf into a 100 to 150 ml gaiwan or small clay pot, enough to cover the bottom generously.
2. Pour water at 195 to 205°F (90 to 96°C), give the leaves a 5-second rinse and discard it.
3. Steep 15 to 20 seconds for the first infusion, then add about 5 to 10 seconds each time. Expect 6 to 8 infusions from rolled oolongs and 8 or more from Wuyi rock oolongs.
4. Pour everything out between infusions. Leaves left sitting in water turn bitter.

A small glass or porcelain teapot with a removable infuser does the job if you do not own a gaiwan. See our teapots for both styles.

Three oolongs to start with

• Ali Shan High Mountain: a Taiwanese rolled oolong, lightly roasted, creamy and floral. If you have only had bagged oolong, start here.
• Anxi Tie Guan Yin: the classic Chinese "Iron Goddess," about 15% oxidized, with an orchid and lilac fragrance that fills the room when the lid comes off the gaiwan.
• Da Hong Pao, Big Red Robe: a roasted Wuyi rock oolong, dark, sweet and mineral. It is the one to pour after dinner.

For a deeper look at the Taiwanese style, read our high mountain oolong guide.

Common mistakes

• Boiling water on a green oolong. It flattens the floral notes. Let the kettle sit for a minute or two.
• Too little leaf, too long a steep. Oolong wants a generous measure and a short time, not the other way round.
• Adding milk. Oolong's texture is already creamy. Milk hides exactly what you paid for.
• Throwing the leaves away after one cup. The second and third infusions are often the best.
• Storing it in the open. Keep oolong in a sealed, opaque container away from heat and the spice rack. Rolled green oolongs are best within a year; roasted ones keep longer.

Frequently asked questions

Does oolong tea have more caffeine than green tea?

Usually a little more. A cup of oolong lands around 30 to 50 mg, green tea around 20 to 45 mg, both well below coffee at roughly 95 mg.

Is it OK to drink oolong tea on an empty stomach?

Many people do without any trouble. If strong tea first thing feels harsh for you, drink it with or after a meal, use less leaf, and keep the first steep short.

Can you drink oolong tea at night?

It contains caffeine, so most people stop by mid-afternoon. A late infusion from already-brewed leaves carries less caffeine than a fresh first cup, but it is not caffeine-free.

Should I add milk or sugar to oolong?

Traditionally no. Oolong is naturally smooth and slightly sweet, and milk covers the floral or roasted notes that make it worth drinking. Try it plain first.

How many times can I re-steep oolong leaves?

Three times Western style, and six to eight or more times gongfu style. When the color turns pale and the flavor thin, the leaves are done.