Gaba Oolong (佳葉龍茶)

archetype: Bear in winter's den

This tea is like a bear that has settled into its winter den: the fire in it does not dance — it smolders in the embers. It does not lead you by the hand; it lies down beside you and breathes with you, until the anxiety burns down to warm ash.

History

The GABA process was discovered by chance by Japanese scientists in 1984: searching for a way to extend the life of tea leaf, they sealed it in an oxygen-free environment — and found that levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid rose sharply. Taiwan applied the method to a classic oolong: the leaf is rolled like Dong Ding, oxidised to 25–35%, roasted, and then sealed for 8–10 hours in a vessel of nitrogen. The fire in this tea does not leave — it curls up like a bear and falls asleep inside the leaf.

It is said that one winter on the slopes of Lugu a freezing monk saw a bear by an extinguished hearth: the beast was not asleep, but did not move either — it was holding the warmth inside itself. In the morning the monk found beside the embers a tea leaf that smelled of coals and honey at once. Since then the people of these mountains have known: this tea does not fight the dark — it becomes one body with it.

Terroir

800–1200 m. volcanic clay with basalt inclusions. humid mists, cool nights, gentle sun. The high-mountain gardens of Lugu and Dong Ding give the optimal leaf — dense, oily, with a long aftertaste.

Leaf

dry leaf: tightly rolled dark olive pellets, packed firmly; in the hand they feel slightly oily, smelling of bees and dark molasses

warmed: the warmed leaf opens with honey, fermented date wine, and a faint note of the den itself — fur and dry grass

after pour: after the first infusion — baked apple, cinnamon, warm molasses, aged honey

taste: dense, oily, with a long finish; the first infusions give honey and date, the middle ones baked apple and wood, the late ones warm earth and a faint smoke

finish: very long, calming, felt in the chest and the belly

Properties

TCM: slightly warm, yin in timing; nourishes the kidneys and heart, descends qi, settles the shen

Modern: GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) content from 150 mg/100 g and higher; gently lowers anxiety, supports sleep, does not 'hit' the nervous system the way an ordinary oolong does

Cha qi: thick, warm, settling in the chest and shoulders; the body grows heavy, the breath slows down

Caffeine: moderate (40–60 mg per cup), but the effect is soft thanks to the GABA

Brewing ritual

a 110 ml gaiwan or a yixing pot of hunni clay (warm earth); soft water, 95 °C; 6 g / 110 ml. 15s — first warmth — honey and date, the leaf is only just waking; 12s — the peak of density: molasses, baked apple, warm wood; 18s — the den: fur of dry grass, cinnamon, a faint sootiness; 25s — the fire settles into the earth — stewed pear, vanilla, silt; 35s — a long warm note, a slow sunset; 50s — warm ash, wood, an aftertaste that holds for an hour.

When to drink

after sunset, ideally about an hour before sleep. late autumn and winter, especially on cold dark days. when sleep won't come because of stray thoughts; when the body is tired but the head keeps running in circles. 70–85% dark chocolate, baked apple with cinnamon, dried fruit, nuts. solitude, or a very close person with whom you can be silent

Tea meditation

Sit so that your back rests against something.
Take the first sip — and don't swallow at once. Hold it in your mouth.
The fire you are drinking does not dance. It smolders.
Slow your breath in the same way — let it become long, dark, even.
You are the den. The tea is the bear. Let it curl up inside you.

Questions and answers

How do you brew Gaba Oolong?

What does Gaba Oolong taste like?

dense, oily, with a long finish; the first infusions give honey and date, the middle ones baked apple and wood, the late ones warm earth and a faint smoke

How much caffeine is in Gaba Oolong?

moderate (40–60 mg per cup), but the effect is soft thanks to the GABA

What are the effects of Gaba Oolong?

GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) content from 150 mg/100 g and higher; gently lowers anxiety, supports sleep, does not 'hit' the nervous system the way an ordinary oolong does