Dong Ding
Also known as 凍頂烏龍, Tung Ting, Frozen Summit Oolong, Lugu Oolong, Nantou Oolong
Dong Ding is the classic Taiwanese high-mountain oolong from Nantou, with floral, creamy, stone-fruit notes and a tight rolled pellet shape.
About Dong Ding
Dong Ding — literally "Frozen Summit" — is a classic Taiwanese high-mountain oolong tea named after the mountain in Nantou County where it was first developed in the nineteenth century. The leaves come from tea bushes grown above 600 metres on the slopes of the central mountain range, where cool mist, well-drained red soil, and wide day-night temperature differences slow the leaf growth and concentrate the aromatic oils. The classic cultivar is Qing Xin (Green Heart), processed by partial oxidation (around 35-50 percent) followed by a careful ball-rolling step that gives the dry leaf its distinctive tight, twisted pellet shape.
The processing is a craft passed down within family tea factories: withering in sun and indoor racks, gentle tossing to bruise the edges, partial oxidation, kill-green in a hot wok, ball-rolling by hand to shape the pellets, and a long charcoal or electric drying that brings out a lingering floral fragrance. The brewed liquor is pale gold to amber, with aromas of gardenia, ripe stone fruit, and a creamy buttery note, finishing on a clean, sweet aftertaste. Aficionados brew it gongfu-style in a small porcelain gaiwan, using boiling water and very short infusions.
Today Dong Ding is grown throughout the Lugu, Shanlinxi, and Alishan regions of central Taiwan and is sold direct from family farms in Nantou and Taipei's tea markets. Tea houses in Taipei (Maokong, Yongkang Street), Taichung, and Tainan pour it from clay teapots, and it is exported to Japan, the United States, and Europe as one of Taiwan's premium teas. It is the everyday premium oolong in Taiwanese tea culture, often paired with light Taiwanese snacks such as pineapple cake, sun cakes, and a bowl of braised pork rice.
🏛️ History & Culture
Dong Ding oolong traces its lineage to Nantou County's Dong Ding Mountain, whose name—"Frozen Summit"—reflects the cool, misty conditions that slow leaf growth and concentrate flavor. The most commonly cited origin story involves a 19th-century Taiwanese scholar who brought tea plants from Fujian's Wuyi Mountains, though the precise details of this journey are not fully documented. The tea is processed in tightly rolled balls, traditionally roasted to a medium-dark level, giving it a distinctive nutty, honeyed character with a gentle floral top note.
Production remains centered in Lugu Township, where the original Dong Ding bushes—descendants of those early Wuyi imports—still anchor the region's tea culture. Modern variations range from lightly oxidized, unroasted styles to deeply roasted traditional versions, reflecting shifting consumer tastes while preserving the tea's core identity. Dong Ding holds a special place as one of Taiwan's most historically significant oolongs, often served in formal gongfu sessions and regarded as a benchmark for the island's high-mountain tea craftsmanship.
🍳 How to make Dong Ding
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedTraditional Gongfu Style Brewing of Dong Ding Oolong
Dong Ding (Frozen Summit) is a classic Taiwanese high-mountain oolong traditionally brewed gongfu-style in a small porcelain gaiwan to bring out its layered floral and creamy aromas. The brewing craft, like the leaf processing, rewards patience and precise steeping times.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- 4 small infusions (one gongfu session)
- Difficulty
- Medium
Recipe ingredients
- 8 g (0.3 oz) Dong Ding oolong leaves, Authentic Nantou-grown Qing Xin cultivar, tightly rolled pellets
Steps
- 1 Warm the gaiwan (small lidded porcelain cup), pitcher, and tasting cups by filling them with hot water, swirling, and discarding the water. This preheats the vessels so the brew temperature stays steady.
- 2 Place 8 g of Dong Ding leaves into the warmed gaiwan. Fill with freshly boiled water at 95°C (203°F) — let boiling water cool for about 30 seconds before pouring. Cap and pour off immediately to rinse the leaves, discarding this first brew.
- 3 First infusion: fill the gaiwan with water at 95°C, cap, and steep for 25 seconds. Pour completely into the pitcher, then into tasting cups. The liquor should be pale gold and fragrant.
- 4 Second infusion: refill the gaiwan with water at 95°C and steep for 20 seconds. Pour fully.
- 5 Third infusion: steep for 25 seconds. The flavor deepens here, showing notes of gardenia and ripe stone fruit.
- 6 Fourth infusion and beyond: add 5–10 seconds per brew, keeping water temperature steady at 95°C. A good Dong Ding yields 8–12 infusions before flavor fades.
- 7 Notes on drinking: sip from the small cups without swallowing immediately — let the liquor cool slightly on the tongue to perceive the sweet aftertaste (hui gan) that signals a well-made Dong Ding. Decant every infusion fully and promptly; leaving tea sitting on the leaves will turn the next brew bitter.
Report an issue with this recipe
Recipes from travellers
No one has shared their own Dong Ding recipe yet. Yours would be the first.
Share how you make Dong Ding
You'll need to be signed in with Google or Facebook so your name can appear on it. Recipes go through an automatic food-safety check before they publish.
Sign in to share your recipe
✅ Before you go to Taiwan
Round out your trip — most travellers book these alongside their trip.
You might also like
Bubble Tea
Sweet milk tea with chewy tapioca pearls.
Three Cup Chicken
Chicken braised in soy, rice wine and sesame oil with basil.
Gua Bao
Pillowy steamed bun folded around braised pork belly.
Tōa-tn̂g Pau Sió-tn̂g
Hailing from Taiwan, Tōa-tn̂g Pau Sió-tn̂g is a much-loved hot dog.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience with Dong Ding.
Write a review
Sign in to verify you're a real person, then share your thoughts on Dong Ding.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to say something about Dong Ding.