When brewing Taiwanese tea, we sometimes find ourselves wondering, "How many more infusions can this tea offer?"
Even after the first cup, the leaves still hold onto their aroma and flavour. As you pour hot water again for a second, then a third infusion, the leaves gradually reveal a different character each time — this is one of the pleasures unique to Taiwanese tea.
At CHA-EN, we brewed our Lishan High Mountain Oolong and Honey Black Tea through five infusions, recording our impressions and photographs along the way. Based on that experience, we would like to share how many infusions Taiwanese tea can offer, and why it can be enjoyed this way.
How Many Infusions Can Taiwanese Tea Offer?
To begin with the conclusion: there is no fixed number of infusions for Taiwanese tea. How many cups you can enjoy depends on the type and quality of the leaves, the amount used, the water temperature, and the steeping time.
That said, based on the leaves we brewed this time, here is a general guide:
- Lishan High Mountain Oolong: approximately 5–6 infusions
- Honey Black Tea: approximately 4–5 infusions
These figures reflect only the conditions we used this time (leaf quantity, water amount, and temperature), and may vary depending on your brewing method and the condition of the leaves. Rather than searching for a single "correct" number of infusions, we believe the true pleasure of Taiwanese tea lies in discovering, through your own brewing, how many infusions suit your taste.
Observing the Changes in Leaf and Colour at CHA-EN
Here, we share what we observed while brewing each of these two teas.
Lishan High Mountain Oolong
A ball-rolled oolong made from the Qingxin Oolong cultivar, grown in Nantou County, Taiwan. For this brew, we used 2g of leaves with 100cc of water at 90–95°C.
1st infusion
A strong, floral aroma comes through, while the flavour still feels gentle and restrained.
2nd infusion
The aroma remains much the same as the first infusion, but the flavour begins to take on more depth and strength.
3rd infusion
The aroma settles slightly, yet the body of the flavour holds steady, continuing the same rich, reliable taste as the second infusion.
4th infusion
Both aroma and flavour still leave a pleasant, lingering finish.
5th infusion
By this point, the leaves have fully unfurled, and the flavour begins to feel a little thinner. For this reason, we consider 5–6 infusions to be a comfortable guide for enjoying this tea.
Honey Black Tea
A black tea grown in Pinglin, Taiwan. For this brew, we used 3g of leaves with 150cc of water at 90–95°C.
1st infusion
A delicate, sweet aroma comes through, along with the pleasant briskness typical of black tea and a honey-like sweetness.
2nd infusion
The sweet aroma becomes more pronounced, while the briskness softens slightly. The honeyed sweetness continues, and the liquor takes on the beautiful colour characteristic of black tea.
3rd infusion
Both aroma and flavour remain steady, close in character to the second infusion.
4th infusion
Both the aroma and flavour begin to mellow gradually.
5th infusion
The colour still carries the character of black tea, though by this point the leaves have fully opened and the flavour has started to feel a little lighter. For this reason, we recommend 4–5 infusions as a general guide for this tea.
Watching the Leaves Change, Infusion by Infusion
Beyond flavour and aroma, the leaves themselves change in appearance with each infusion.
In their dried state, the leaves are tightly curled into small balls. With the first infusion, that tight curl begins to loosen. By the second infusion, the outline of each leaf slowly starts to emerge, and from the third infusion onward, the leaves unfurl fully, revealing their true shape as a single, whole leaf.
Watching a small, tightly rolled leaf gradually reveal itself with each pour of hot water — this, too, is one of the quiet pleasures of brewing Taiwanese tea.
For more on how Taiwanese tea is crafted into that distinctive rolled shape, please see this article.
Why Can Taiwanese Tea Be Enjoyed Through So Many Infusions?
Many Taiwanese oolongs are finished into a tightly rolled, ball shape. This form is created through processes known as rolling and ball-rolling, which compress and shape the leaves while adjusting their moisture content.
Once shaped into balls, the leaves gradually absorb water and unfurl with each infusion. This is why the same leaves can be steeped several times, each infusion revealing a slightly different aroma and flavour.
Ball-rolling itself is a process meant to shape the leaf and regulate its moisture — not a technique designed specifically "to allow many infusions." Even so, we believe it is this very process — the slow unfurling of a tightly rolled leaf — that gives rise to the layered, evolving character that makes Taiwanese tea so enjoyable across multiple infusions.
For more detail on the ball-rolling process, please see this article.
It's worth noting that teas such as common Indian black teas are typically brewed from finely broken leaves, extracted fully in a single steep and enjoyed in that one cup. This is not a matter of one method being superior to the other — it simply reflects differences in leaf shape and the brewing traditions that have developed in each region.
Beyond "How Many Infusions" — The Fuller Pleasure of Taiwanese Tea
Looking back, the first infusion offers a first impression of aroma; the second, a deepening of flavour; and from the third infusion onward, a different kind of quiet settles in. All the while, the leaves themselves were quietly transforming.
"How many infusions" can serve as a useful guide. But beyond the number itself, we hope you will also take pleasure in the process — the way a single leaf slowly unfurls, and how its aroma and flavour shift along the way.
That a single leaf can hold so many expressions across so many infusions speaks to something we hold dear: "a special, once-in-a-lifetime encounter with tea leaves of true distinction."
For instance, when welcoming an important guest, serving Taiwanese tea from a pot and replenishing the water for several infusions allows you to savour, together, the way the tea gradually changes over time. Watching the leaves as you wait together, wondering "what will the next infusion taste like?" — such moments often become the ones we remember most.
A single leaf holding not just one cup, but the story of many infusions — once you begin to notice this, Taiwanese tea may start to look a little different to you than before.
In Closing: Taiwanese Tea Is a Tea to Be Enjoyed, Infusion by Infusion
There is no fixed number to how many infusions Taiwanese tea can offer. But when you actually brew it yourself, you may find that what matters even more than the number is the process itself — a small, tightly rolled leaf slowly unfurling with each pour, its aroma and flavour shifting along the way.
The next time you brew Taiwanese tea, we hope you'll take a moment not only to count the infusions, but also to notice the many expressions the leaf reveals to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many infusions can Taiwanese tea offer?
A. There is no fixed number — it depends on the type and amount of leaves, water temperature, and other conditions. As a general guide, we suggest 5–6 infusions for Taiwanese oolong and 4–5 infusions for Taiwanese black tea.
Q. Which infusion tastes best?
A. It's difficult to say definitively. The first infusion tends to offer the strongest first impression of aroma, while the second and third often bring a deepening of flavour. We encourage you to try it yourself and discover which infusion you prefer.
Q. Why can Taiwanese tea be enjoyed through so many infusions?
A. Many Taiwanese oolongs are shaped into tight balls through rolling and ball-rolling processes. As hot water is poured, the leaves gradually absorb moisture and unfurl, allowing each infusion to offer a slightly different aroma and flavour.
Q. Can every Taiwanese tea be enjoyed this way?
A. It depends on the type, quality, and shape of the leaves. Tightly shaped leaves, such as those used for Taiwanese oolong and black tea, tend to be well suited to multiple infusions.
Q. How is this different from Indian black tea, for example?
A. Common Indian black teas are typically made from finely broken leaves, brewed fully in a single steep, and enjoyed that way. This isn't a matter of one being better than the other — it simply reflects differences in leaf shape and the brewing cultures that have developed in each region.