Description of Oolong Tea
Popular with tea aficionados, oolong teas are semi-oxidized and can range from light, floral brews to dark, honey-sweet infusions. Oolong means "black dragon" in Chinese, which probably refers to how a twisted oolong leaf resembles a dragon. Does this Spark an idea?
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Tea and Oxidation
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All tea--whether black, green, oolong, yellow or white--is made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The difference between each type of tea is its processing and level of oxidation. Oxidation is the process by which enzymes in the tea leaf break down, causing a darkening of the leaf and the development of tannins. Green tea is the least oxidized tea, while black is the most oxidized.
Oolong Tea
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Oolong tea is oxidized somewhere between that of a green tea and a black tea. There are various styles of oolong tea; some are only slightly oxidized, while others are heavily oxidized.
To make oolong tea, tea makers shake tea leaves in baskets to bruise them, and then the leaves are allowed to oxidize for a specific period of time. Once the desired level of oxidization is complete, tea makers heat the leaves to stop the process.
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Dark Oolong
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Many Chinese restaurants serve dark oolong tea to patrons during meals. Dark oolong can look like a black tea but often has a more "roasted" flavor. Some dark oolong teas can also have notes of spice, tobacco and honey.
Green Oolong
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Green oolong teas are very lightly oxidized and once infused can look much like green tea. Greener oolongs often have floral and/or fruity characteristics.
Famous Oolongs
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Some well-known green oolongs are ti kuan yin (also known as Iron Goddess of Mercy) and bao zhong (also known as pouchong). Famous darker oolongs include Oriental Beauty (Dong Fang Mei Ren) and Formosa Fancy.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Or Hiltch
