Sparrow's Tongue Oolong

[Sparrow's Tongue Oolong | 武夷雀舌 | Wǔ Yí Què Shé | Wuyi Mountains]

Medium Roasted Chinese Oolong

One of Moonlit's goals has been to curate a few rare, eclectic teas California's not used to seeing yet. That said, we're proud to finally serve you one such underdog - a modern 1980's tea from China's oldest traditional oolong mountain.

「Flavor Profile」Depending on season & brew length, ranges from: White sesame cookies, Marzipan paste, Toasted Cashew, Vanilla Oat Latte, Smoky Creme, Sweet almond florals, to hints of strawberry.

Overall creamy & nutty - much more understated and yin than many of its Wuyi cousins, like our bold Da Hong Pao or unapologetically oaken Jin Gui

We find that our 2025 Summer to Fall crops emphasize more soothing smokiness with light strawberry, while our 2026 Winter to Spring crops lean further into its sesame buttery goodness.

「Aromatics」Toasted Sesame, magnolia flowers, fresh hot 湯圓 filling

「Origin」Rocky, mineral-rich terroir of the Wuyi Mountains. Native & distinct cultivar discovered in the 80's & developed extensively in the 90's.  Gentle, balanced roast of Spring's sweet and delicate leaves. Earned its namesake for the tea plants' younger leaves' resembling the shape of tiny sparrows' thin, pointed tongue! Renowned as a Wuyi "Boutique" oolong, for being more aromatic and "graceful" in nature compared to its famously bold & earthen cousins like [Red Robe Reserve | Da Hong Pao].

Distinct even from stereotypical Formosa, Anxi & Phoenix oolongs, Sparrow's Tongue stands out among tea collections as a one-of-a-kind sweet & creamy Chinese brew.

「Tea Pairings」

@Nekosama_ba oatmeal plum cookies 🐈⬛🍪
@joesicecreamsf Dalgona Coffee ice cream 🍨
@littlemoonbakehouse Chocolate Chip Mung Moonocookie 🌙 
@aabakerysfchinatown 老婆饼 🥮 (Canto wintermelon cake)
Tiramisu, hazelnut wafers, almond croissants

「Contains」Just 100% tea! 🌱🍵

As with our other pure leaf traditionals - the Sparrow Tongue's unique profile simply comes from tea leaves and the gōngfū (hard-earned skill, 功夫) of farmers & roasters - now using generation-old techniques to hone a new modern tradition.

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Brewing recommendations (Ed. May 1st, 2026)

6g | 12oz | 200-205°F | 2-4 Minutes

Sparrow's Tongue doesn't need many leaves to brew! It can tolerate 200°F temperatures, but recent crops do not prefer boiling. Yields clean flavor anywhere between 2-4 minutes, leaning more marzipan/sesame at younger steeps, more oat latte/cashew milk at 4 minutes.