Quick Answer
Charcoal roasted oolong is oolong tea roasted over charcoal. Roasting is a step carried out after the tea is made. According to tea knowledge compiled on the Taiwan Ministry of Agriculture’s knowledge portal, roasting improves aroma, removes moisture and off-flavors and helps packaging and storage, and different temperatures stabilize quality and bring out distinctive aromas. In general, light roast keeps more floral notes, medium roast balances the original aroma with roasted notes, and heavy roast moves toward nutty, toasty, ripe flavors. Roasted notes pair well with milk, so roasted oolong is popular for oolong milk tea and oolong fresh milk tea.
What Is Tea Roasting?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| When | A roasting step done after the tea’s initial processing |
| Purpose | Improve aroma, remove moisture and off-flavors, stabilize quality, help packaging and storage |
| Method | Traditional charcoal roasting, or electric roasters and other equipment |
| Level | Light, medium or heavy roast, set by temperature and time |
Taiwan’s Tea and Beverage Research Station continues to research roasting technology, for example by developing an automatic tea roaster that can be controlled and logged remotely.
Light vs Medium vs Heavy Roast
| Roast level | Flavor | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Light roast | Keeps brighter floral notes | Fragrant straight tea, fruit tea |
| Medium roast | Balance of original aroma and roasted notes | Straight tea or milk tea |
| Heavy roast | Nutty, toasty, ripe notes | Milk tea, lattes, brown sugar drinks |
How to Use Roasted Oolong in Bubble Tea
- Straight roasted oolong: highlights the roasted aroma; serve unsweetened or lightly sweetened.
- Oolong milk tea and oolong fresh milk tea: roasted and milky notes complement each other, adding ripe-fruit and toasty layers that black milk tea doesn’t have.
- Brown sugar oolong fresh milk: the caramel notes of brown sugar match the roasted aroma.
Tieguanyin is another popular roasted oolong; see What Is Tieguanyin Tea?
Tang Sugar Roasted Oolong Products
Tang Sugar supplies charcoal roasted oolong leaves (600 g bags), roasted oolong filter-free bags and roasted oolong brewing bags, plus flavored oolongs such as osmanthus oolong brewing bags and peach green oolong brewing bags. See our tea products or request samples.
Products in this article
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FAQ
What is charcoal roasted oolong?
It is oolong tea roasted over charcoal, with a pronounced roasted aroma.
Why is tea roasted?
Roasting improves aroma, removes moisture and off-flavors, stabilizes quality and helps packaging and storage, while bringing out distinctive aromas.
What is the difference between light and heavy roast oolong?
Light roast keeps brighter floral notes; heavy roast moves toward nutty, toasty and ripe flavors; medium roast sits in between.
Is roasted oolong good for milk tea?
Yes. Roasted and milky notes complement each other, so it is often made into oolong milk tea and oolong fresh milk tea.
Is oolong a green tea or a black tea?
Neither. Oolong is a partly oxidized tea, sitting between unoxidized green tea and fully oxidized black tea.
How do I choose roasted oolong for a bubble tea shop?
Bubble tea shops usually buy commercial packs from tea suppliers. Choose by equipment: whole leaves for traditional brewing, filter-free bags to skip straining, and brewing bags for tea espresso machines. Tang Sugar supplies roasted oolong leaves (600 g bags), filter-free bags and brewing bags; see our tea products or request samples.
How do you brew roasted oolong?
Temperature, time and leaf amount depend on each product’s package instructions. Brew a test batch, adjust for sweetness, ice and milk, then write the settings into your SOP. For different tea bag formats, see Filter-Free Tea Bags vs Brewing Bags.
Does roasted oolong contain caffeine?
Yes. Roasted oolong is made from tea plant leaves and contains caffeine; the amount depends on the leaves, dose and steeping time. See How Much Caffeine Is in Bubble Tea?
Further Reading
Sources
- Ministry of Agriculture knowledge portal: Tea and Beverage Research Station tea topic (in Chinese)
- Tea and Beverage Research Station: Automatic tea roaster developed by the station (in Chinese)
- Tang Sugar product list (March 2026 edition)
