Renshen Wulong (人参乌龙) — ginseng oolong

In the cup

Spicy-sweet ginseng and licorice up front, earthy and root-like; later steeps soften into the floral, creamy base oolong, with a long warming sweetness.

What it gives

A warming, tonic tea — the ginseng and licorice add a herbal, adaptogenic character; those watching blood pressure should take licorice-heavy versions in moderation.

Renshen Wulong — ginseng oolong — is among the most distinctive of the coated teas. A base oolong, lightly oxidised and rolled, is dusted with a powder of ginseng and licorice root, sometimes other herbs, until each pellet is grey-green and dense. It is far more popular across Russia and the wider region than in China itself, where it sits in a narrow niche of functional teas (and where the marketing name Lan Gui Ren, “noble orchid”, has nothing to do with orchids).

The first steep is bold: spicy-sweet ginseng with its rooty, earthy bitterness, wrapped in the round sweetness of licorice. By the second and third pour the herb coating recedes and the base oolong comes forward — floral, creamy, sometimes fruity. The aftertaste is long, sweet and warming, with a “root” undertone. The taste divides people; quality varies widely from fine Taiwanese batches to cheap versions where licorice stands in for ginseng.

In the cup

Brew it gongfu, near boiling. The first pour may run slightly cloudy as the powder dissolves; by the third it clears and the oolong leads. In Southeast Asia it is also served chilled over ice as a summer tonic.

How to brew