What is Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is delicious, but what is it exactly? Well, the word Oolong, also known by Wu long, means "black dragon." The reason for this name is speculated, but unknown for sure. It comes from the same plant as other teas, but for the most part is grown in southern China and places in Taiwan. But how is it made? Well, Oolong tea comes from the same plant as the other three main types of teas, which are green, white, and black tea. The plant it comes from is called Camellia Sinensis. The way it is uniquely processed yields the one of a kind flavor of Oolong tea. It has a delightful aroma and contains the most essential oils of all of the types of tea.

Oxidation

The processing of Oolong tea is somewhat different from the other types. Chinese white tea is not oxidized, hence its delicate flavor. Black tea is completely oxidized, giving it a strong flavor. Loose leaf green tea is more oxidized than white tea, but less oxidized than Oolong. The process of oxidation varies even among Oolong tea. If the Oolong is less oxidized, it can be closer to the flavor of green tea, and if it is oxidized more, it tastes more similar to the black tea.

Complex flavor

There are literally hundreds of different types and varieties of this type of tea. The processing of it is so complex that it really varies from tea to tea. Oolong leaves are harvested in the spring, summer, and autumn, a handful of times each year. It is made from a bud with a few leaves, and is picked when the buds are halfway to being fully grown.

The process

The quality varies with the season. Spring and autumn harvests yield higher quality tea than summer harvests. The freshly picked leaves will be left to dry to remove moisture. This determines how the tea will oxidize, but it is a careful process as too much sun exposure may damage the leaves. There is a process of oxidation that occurs with what is called withering, and then bruising, which further remove moisture and grassiness. Leaves will lose some of their supple quality in this withering process, but regain their elasticity at the end of the process of bruising. There are many other techniques in the process, such as shaking the leaves and then spreading them out to rest them, which can help to speed up or slow down the oxidation process.

The leaves after this process are put under high heat to cease oxidation, as if they are allowed to continue oxidizing they will end up losing far too much moisture. After this, oolong leaves are shaped and rolled, heated, rolled, and so on. They go through types of baking and then undergo exposure to low heat to improve the aroma of the tea. After this it is sorted, cooled, and packaged.

It's a long, complicated process and subtle changes can alter the flavor of the tea. Due to this, Oolong tea has a complex and tasty flavor. Oolong tea also has many benefits for your health. It can even help promote weight loss by boosting the metabolism, and helping to burn off fat.

Health benefits

Loose leaf green tea has more proven health benefits, but that is because more extensive research has been done on loose leaf tea as compared to Oolong tea. However, Oolong tea has more variety of flavors and tastes compared to green tea, and has a delightful aroma and stronger fragrance. It is a healthy drink and does have benefits to your health.

It can promote hearth health and lower the LDL, or bad form of cholesterol. It can also be beneficial to those suffering from hypertension, diabetes, and other conditions.
 

Now that you've learned a little introduction to Oolong tea, go try some! Drink up, and enjoy.