Chinese Oolong Tea (Wu Long Tea)
One Quality You Must Experience

Although widely consumed by the Chinese and Japanese people in the Far East, the mention of oolong tea often intrigues my Westerners friends.

Want to lose weight fast?

This tea has a huge reputation for promoting weight loss, a benefit touted even in advanced tea drinking nations such as China and Japan.

But if you are thinking just about weight loss, you are in the wrong place (please visit the weight loss page for a comprehensive summary).

Its ONE outstanding quality is its aroma, as it contains the highest concentration of essential oils of any tea types.

All teas come from the tea plant Camellia sinensis, but they are processed differently to make different teas.

Just like apples turn brown when they are exposed to oxygen, tea leaves go through the same process when they come into contact with oxygen.

Green tea is green is because they are unoxidised. Black tea (most likely the tea you drink daily) is black because it is fully oxidised.

In between the two - you have oolong tea - which undergoes the most complex making process mastered only by the Chinese makers.

Depending on the variety, it can range from 10% to 70% oxidised.

Tea Information - Five Key Facts Everyone Should Know

Oo means Black. Long means Dragon. So the word oolong means Black Dragon.

Where does the name come from?

It is accepted by Chinese scholars that it emerged before the 16th century Ming dynasty.

There are 3 widely quoted theories on how this happened.

Ready for some tea stories?

Tea History - The Origins of Black Dragon

How does this tea compare to its famous cousin green tea?

Green tea has more proven health benefits, partly because it is more extensively studied.

However, with its stronger fragrance and aftertaste, oolong tea has a larger spectrum of tastes and flavors than green tea.

If you are only just beginning to discover tea, you may find it easier to appreciate.

Which one is better? Personally, I think it is a question of balance.

You are free to vary your tea consumption by your body type, seasonality and time of the day. There is a place for both in a balanced tea diet.

Green Versus Oolong

Here is where the fun begins!

There are hundreds of different types of oolong tea.

Needless to say, the actual process is complex and vary from tea to tea.

See the picture to the right? This is the most important part.

Called bruising, leaves are deliberately shaken to encourage the tea polyphenols to oxidise in a controlled way.

Chinese Oolong Processing - A Beginner's Guide

It has quite a few proven health benefits!

It has been found to promote heart health by reducing triglycerides, cholesterols and atherosclerosis.

It is also good for people suffering from eczema, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Oolong Health Benefits - A Scientific Tour

Like black tea and green tea, it is a healthy beverage. But like any other tea, it does have some side effects.

The best way to avoid side effects? Buy a high quality tea from a knowledgeable seller.

Tea Side Effects

It has slightly less caffeine than a high grade green tea or a black tea.

However, it may also contain less theanine (a calming relaxant) than a high grade green.

How many cups of tea should you drink daily?

Read how you can avoid caffeine side effects in

Caffeine - The Best of Both Worlds?

There are hundreds of different types of this tea.

They grow in different places, from different tea plants and are processed in different ways.

Even up to today, it is still cultivated mainly in the southern Chinese provinces of Fujian and Guangdong, with Fujian Province being the oldest and largest producer.

The Taiwanese or Formosa tea is also highly acclaimed.

They are not necessarily the highest quality (as many internet punters would claim), but has certainly shown themselves in recent decades to be the most innovative.

To summarize, here are the Famous Four that you shouldn't miss:

• Wuyi Rock tea

• Anxi Tieguanyin tea

• Phoenix Dancong tea

• Formosa Oolong tea

Wuyi and Tieguanyin teas are so highly regarded that they are often included in the 10 Famous Chinese Teas.

Loose Oolong Varieties - The Four Great Schools

Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.

Tieguanyin Tea (Iron Goddess) - What's Your Perfect Oolong?

Is Anxi Tieguanyin tea the perfect everyday tea?

Iron Goddess Tea- How To Appreciate

How to tell the good from bad?

Tieguanyin King Grade Versus Jipin

A round up of which is the Tea King!

Oolong Tea Double Wins

Breaking news! Shen's Silver Medallist tea won medals for second consecutive time this year.

Wulong Tea Review - A Dieter's Buying Guide

How to buy wulong tea online.

Okuma Wu-Long Tea - A Review

My friend Melvin asked me to review a tea that he bought.

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