What is Oolong Tea?
A favorite among tea connoisseurs, oolong tea is cultivated in Taiwan and Southeast China. Until recently, oolong has been consumed primarily in China and Japan, but with the awareness of health benefits surfacing world wide, oolong, as well as all teas, have seen tremendous growth in interest from around the globe.
All four types of teas (white, green, oolong, and black) come from the camellia sinensis plant and are so named but the way they have been processed (oxidized). White tea is the least oxidized and black tea is the most oxidized. Oolong is partially oxidized so the color and the flavor exist in a range between black and green teas. Oolong leaves vary from shades of green to dark brown.
Oolong is richly aromatic with a range of complex, but smooth, floral flavors. The leaf color varies depending on the oxidation level and this also determines the flavors; lighter shades taste more floral. This complexity is making oolong grow in popularity, as this tea often produces the widest range of aromas and flavors.
How is Oolong Processed?
Processing of oolong tea is the most difficult and time-consuming of all four teas. A long standing tradition requires excellent craftsmanship and experience. It is vital that the leaves for oolong tea are picked on a clear morning. They should be picked as one bud and three leaves. The bud and leaves must then be placed in the sun to wither then dried indoors or under shade to encourage fermentation. It is imperative that the tea producers know when to stop fermenting. Then, on bamboo mats, the leaves are shaken so that they bruise, just slightly, on the edges.
This aspect of the processing is required to partially oxidize the leaves. After being shaken they are placed in the shade until they turn a little yellow. The entire process is repeated a few times. Once a certain level of oxidation is reached, the leaves are placed in high heat so they will not oxidize any further. They are then dried a final time, most often on charcoal. Before they are packaged, a tea master judges the quality. Once packaged, oolong can live a long time on the shelf because they contain much less moisture in their leaves than green and white teas.
Why Choose Oolong?
The tea plant contains multitudes of healthy ingredients such as antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals. These antioxidants, as well as other helpful ingredients such as fluoride and caffeine, are responsible for fighting heart disease and cancer, strengthening bones and teeth, raising metabolism, and improving mental cognition. But as research about the health benefits of teas arise, so do diet trends and misinformation. Recently oolong has been called the “slimming” tea. Although science has provided proof that tea speeds up metabolism, the truth is that all teas have those same qualities. If a person did nothing different except drink 2-4 cups of tea a day, they would lose about 7-8 lbs a year. Not bad, but not a miraculous diet drink.
Still, oolong tea is a great addition to a healthy diet as it, like all teas, has practically no calories, no sodium and no fat. Replacing poor drink choices such as soda and heavily cream-and-sugared coffee with tea is a wise alternative for health and well-being.
Many people just prefer oolong for the complexity and range of flavors. For those who like a tea without the heavy grassy flavor of green tea, but want a weaker black tea, oolong offers the perfect compromise.
