Oolong tea
Oolong tea, also known as Wulong tea has recently been gaining notoriety in the US and other western countries. It is known as the national tea of China and the majority of it is grown in the Fujian province. Wulong means black dragon in Chinese, so it is sometimes referred to as black dragon tea as well.
It was named for its creator, Wu Liang, who according to Chinese legend accidentally discovered it. The legend says Wu Liang was out collecting tea leaves one day when he saw a deer which he killed and prepared. In all of the excitement he forgot about the leaves and didn't dry them. By the time he remembered the leaves, they had begun to change color and he thought they may have gone bad. He proceeded to dry them anyway and when he tasted the tea he was pleasantly surprised by its delicious aroma and taste.
Wu long tea leaves are picked in the morning and dried indoors so they ferment. They aren't fermented for as long as many other varieties and are known as semi-fermented leaves. Semi-fermenting is the most important factor in producing quality oolong tea. The fermentation process is stopped when the leaves are 70% green and 30% red in color.
After the fermentation process oolong tea leaves are rubbed to release their delicious aroma and flavor. The leaves are then dried over charcoal and graded for quality.
Because of the fermentation methods used, oolong retains more antioxidant polyphenol than other tea varieties. Studies have shown that these antioxidants help prevent cancer and heart disease. Beyond that it is said to speed up the metabolism which promotes weight loss. If you perform a search on google for oolong, 100's of pages will come up regarding the weight loss benefits of oolong. Even Oprah endorses it as her everyday tea choice.
Taiwan and India also produce oolong teas. Taiwanese oolong tea is known as Formosa and is the most sought after variety of oolong. Specialty tea grown in Taiwan is fermented for half the amount of time as Chinese oolong and is also sun-dried instead of charcoal dried.
The methods of brewing used to produce oolong tea are a bit different than black or Japanese green tea. It is important not to brew oolong tea in water that is too hot because it will become bitter and lose its delicious fruity flavor. Traditional methods require "waking" the oolong tea leaves before brewing. This is done buy pouring nearly boiling water over them and draining it immediately. After the "waking", hot water is again poured on them and allowed to sit for no more than one minute. Then the tea leaves are removed and the tea is ready to drink. Because of this quick brewing process several cups of tea can be made from one batch of oolong leaves.
As far as taste goes Chinese oolong tea is known for its natural, delicious fruity flavor and preferred by many who don't like the bitterness of other organic tea varieties. If you prefer a scented tea, oolong is available with several delicious flavorings including fruit infusions and herbal infusions such as orchid, orange, vanilla, coconut and many other flavors.
The best place to buy oolong tea is from an online premium tea supplier. Not only is it convenient, it also allows you to choose from an enormous variety of oolong tea blends. Like all other teas it is best to buy oolong as loose leaf tea from a reputable supplier. Specialty tea should never come in teabags. You must be especially careful when picking an oolong supplier as many weight loss shops that know nothing about tea sell low quality oolong blends as just another product. Gourmet tea shops on the other hand specialize in wide varieties of tea and sell top quality oolong. Reputable suppliers offer background information about their teas, including place of origin.
Whether you are buying oolong for it's fruity flavor, weight loss benefits or health benefits you will surely be satisfied with this complex tea.
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