Everything About Oolong Tea

Origins of oolong tea

Oolong tea received its unique and amazing name in a quite amazing way. It was so amazing that no one is really sure how it got its name.

According to one theory, oolong tea came right after Tea Cake tribute tea.

Because it looks like a dragon, its original name was Black Dragon tea. Origins of this type of tea are connected to Anxi County and Wuyi Mountains.

These parts of China are really important for the production of tea. According to several other theories, this tea was made from the oolong plant, and some people agreed that it got its name after Wuyi Mountain area.

Nevertheless, the tea is today one of the most interesting teas not because only it tastes unique, but it is also produced in a unique and old fashioned way.

In the traditional way, oolong tea is made like this: you must use one and a half grams of oolong tea per one hundred milliliters of water.

The temperature of the water should be around 200 F, but it should not be boiled. Steep tea for three to ten minutes, according to your needs.

Old fashioned way of steeping oolong tea is called gonfucha.

It is completed with a vessel for steeping tea, and in this way, more tea is used, and it needs to be steeped several times in the period of twenty to sixty seconds.

Types of oolong tea

There are several types of this tea, but one of the most famous was spread in Europe in nineteenth-century thanks to the British ambassador.

He dedicated some tea to the queen of England and she was delighted with its taste and scent.

Rest is history.

Oolong tea has a long history older than one millennium. It is a tea produced in mostly China, and it is only partially oxidized.

Beside Chinese tea, there is also oolong tea made in Taiwan, it is also very tasty although a bit different than Chinese tea.

Quality of oolong tea from Taiwan is not the same because the weather changes very frequently.

Some of the most famous Taiwanese oolong teas are Alishan, very sweet, Lishan, one of the best, Ruan Zhi, light tea, and many many more.

The tea is only partially fermented, and it contains caffeine, minerals, vitamins, catechins, carotene, and polyphenol. It can be classified between green and black tea.

It is best to keep it in a dry place because, in this way, it keeps the taste and it lasts for a longer period of time.

Health benefits of Oolong tea are various. Chinese teas are well-known as healthy drinks because they are rich in flavonoids and several centuries-old traditions cannot be wrong.

Every drink can have a positive or negative effect on the human body, but only you can decide if something is good for you or not.

Your body tells you how tea and other food and drink affect you.

Possible health benefits of oolong tea

Several benefits according to Chinese medicine are:

  • improves teeth health,
  • good for skin,
  • can decrease the level of bad cholesterol,
  • and more.

Also, according to some studies, it is believed that oolong tea boosts the immune system, it improves bones structure and it’s also good for losing weight.

More scientific evidence is needed in order to confirm the health benefits of Oolong tea. But, while we wait for more proof that Oolong tea is healthy to drink, you can drink it every day.

If you wonder how it tastes, you should know that it is more similar to green tea than black tea. Its aroma is sweet, but not too sweet.

Also, taste depends on the origin of Oolong tea. Oolong is a type of loose leaf tea and it is also known as Wu-long. This means “black dragon”, as we already wrote at the beginning of this article.

Oolong tea drinks many people not only in China but all over the world, and although it is not famous as green tea, we think it should be classified as one of the healthiest.

Why is tea so special?

Did you think that oolong is black tea? Or did you believe that green and oolong tea are the same?

Well, think again, because it is different than both green and black tea, it is specific and it tastes original and unique.

Oolong tea is half oxidized, and it is prepared in the old school way. Because of this, its taste is quite amazing, light, but not too light, sweet, but not too sweet.

Steps of tea preparation are withering, cooling, rolling, oxidation, roasting and rolling tea again. After this, tea leaves are dried and picked by hand for the best possible taste.

The tea is rich in flavonoids and antioxidants. It has positive effects on your health and although it is not as popular as green and black tea, we think it deserves to be on a list of one of the healthiest teas in the world.

Because of its long tradition, oolong tea is pure and we recommend to drink it every day.