Amazing taste, great health benefits, high in vitamins, amino
acids and antioxidants, that’s Oolong tea. What’s
not to like about it?
Oolong tea, also known as Wulong tea is mainly known for its
ability to assist with weight loss, but it is also an amazing tasting tea with
a wealth of flavours. All teas come from the camellia sinensis plant, but it is
the processing that determines whether it is a White, Green, Oolong or Black
tea. Black tea is fermented, Green and White tea is unfermented and Oolong
comes in the middle, semi fermented. Oolong tea leaves are picked from the
plant, kept under controlled conditions and allowed to oxidise. The range in
taste and aromas of the various Oolong teas is a combination of the different
growing conditions, soil and climate, and is dependent on the skill of the
person processing the tea.
All Oolong teas taste fantastic and are a great starting point
for the novice tea leaf drinker.
Oolong teas are delightfully complex and develop in the cup much
more than Green and White teas. Oolongs
have recipes and variables that must be closely managed from withering time to
the way the leaves are tossed, bruised, rolled and compressed to exacting
temperature and humidity standards. And it’s these recipes and
variables that give way to the multitude of tastes, flavours, colours and aroma’s.
Oolong tea is traditionally produced in China and Taiwan, but the
noteworthy producer of green Oolongs at the moment is Taiwan.
Oolongs range from light and floral to dark and chocolateley, and
these different flavours are a result of the oxidation level and the roasting.
Roasting adds flavour, aroma and body.
Light Oolongs can look a lot like Green tea. Take the IronGoddess of Mercy from China, where each leaf resembles a tiny piece of jade.
Iron Goddess has a lightly roasted, rich, fruity, charming orchid fragrance and
taste. When brewed the honey and orchid fragrance give way to a light, sweet
taste with a smooth texture to the tongue. A perfect afternoon cup of tea.
Another traditional Chinese Oolong is Golden Osmanthus. This Oolong
from the Anxi province with a mild climate, fertile soil and abundant rainfall,
produces a tea with a mellow, fruity, floral taste and a rich golden colour
when brewed. Ideal for drinking at lunchtime or in the afternoon.
In Taiwan, the tea leaves are grown slowly on remote high
mountain tops which gives the tea a unique sweet flavour. The cool damp
mountain air and the rich dark soil produce extremely high quality Oolongs,
such as the Imperial Alishan. The leaves
are processed and fermented in the traditional way to give a tea which has a
fresh floral aroma and creamy buttery taste and it is one of the most highly
prized teas in the country.
Some Oolongs which are subject to higher oxidation or roasted levels lose the super-fresh attributes of the jade style Oolongs. These more heavily processed teas develop more warm, mellow flavours, such as the Taiwanese Dong Ding. Dong Ding offers a deliciously mild, sweet, fresh, creamy tasting tea with undertones of honey and nectar and a brilliant golden colour when brewed. Well known for aiding digestion, this tea is perfect for drinking after a meal and has a rich, soft, buttery aftertaste.
Oolongs are usually made with larger leaves than green and blacks
which means they need extra room to unfurl and release their full flavour. To
brew Oolong tea, clean tasting water is a must and normally, Oolongs thrive
with full boiling water or just -off boiling water. And as with all teas, Oolongs
may be infused several times. Generally, the lighter Oolongs will begin to get
grassy in taste after their fourth or fifth infusion, but the moderately
oxidised, roasted Oolongs like the Dong Ding, may be infused for up to ten
times.
So whatever your taste, there is an Oolong to suite every palate,
and as well as tasting fantastic, Oolong tea offers several health benefits
from helping to prevent cancer, heart disease and tooth decay to treating
obesity and diabetes and boosting the immune system. So why not try one of
these sweet easy drinking teas with elegant aromas today?
