Gao Shan tea or Gao Shan Cha is used to describe the high mountain Oolongs. The high mountain teas are strictly defined to grow beyond an elevation of 1000m. The climate of these regions is characterized by large differences between night and day temperatures,
presence of mountain mist causing high humidity and less direct sunlight over the plantations. Intermittent sunlight makes the Gao Shan cha grow very slowly. This helps to make the flavor concentration more intense in the leaves and imparts more aroma and sweetness. The leaves are hand harvested or machine harvested and the dry leaves are tightly curled, which sometimes resemble peas.
Oolong is the Chinese for ‘black dragon tea’, as the leaves are dark, long and curled. Gao Shan Cha is usually ‘green style tea’ with minimal processing involved. Mountain teas are very good for health and prized among the Chinese. The health benefits of these teas are known far and wide. As Oolong undergoes nominal processing it retains many of its original chemical constituents that are beneficial in weight loss. Benefits of drinking Gao Shan tea include:
- Antioxidant properties that help in weight loss
- Lowers cholesterol and provide protection to heart patients
- Prevents halitosis and tooth decay
- Lowers blood sugar which in turn resists the occurrence of Diabetes
- General stimulant and energy booster
When infused with other flavors, high mountain teas are very delicious and good alternatives to other beverages like coffee or aerated sodas. If you’re bored of the taste of tea there are so many variants available that are flavored to enhance taste. Milk Oolong, Almond Oolong, Green Apple Oolong, Jasmine and Osmanthus Oolong teas are among the most popular flavored beverages available to connoisseurs. The floral aroma and fresh aftertaste are some of the reasons why Gao Shan tea is so popular all over the world.
The high mountain variety is a good ‘diet tea’ but the blended varieties should not be taken over long periods of time as they contain laxatives and diuretics which cause drastic weight loss and are harmful to health. Some of the most popular among Oolongs are those grown in the Wuyi Mountains or the northern Fujian province, or on the central mountains of Taiwan. The inaccessibility of these hilly regions makes Gao Shan tea difficult to harvest and relatively expensive. However once tried, the tea connoisseur would always prefer them to other green or black variants.
