To understand oolong, you really need to understand tea processing. All tea—black, green and oolong—starts out from the same Camellia sinensis tea plant. The difference in what ends up in your teacup depends on many factors, including the variety or cultivar of the tea plant, the terroir of the plant the characteristics of the geography, climate and culture , and how the tea leaves are processed after they are picked.
Fragile just-picked tea leaves are first intentionally bruised by tossing or shaking them. This is an important step to help initiate the oxidation process that will give oolong tea leaves their ultimate flavor. The tea leaves need time to rest and cool down from the heat of the sun withering before the rest of the processing takes place. As they cool, they begin to wilt and flatten. As they start to change shape, they are ready to be rolled.
As the wilted leaves are lightly rolled, they are further bruised. Bruising breaks the cell walls of the leaves, releasing the enzymes and essential oils that will alter the flavor of the leaves. Rolling further exposes the chemical components of the tea leaves to oxygen and spurs on the oxidation process. Rolling also helps define the shape the tea leaves will take. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that alters the flavor of the tea leaves and helps the processed tea develop its ultimate appearance and color.
How long the tea leaves are allowed to oxidize, or be exposed to oxygen, will determine the type of tea the leaf will become. Once the tea leaves are oxidized to the desired level, heat is applied to halt the oxidation process and to start drying out the leaves. Roasting applies heat and also lends important flavor characteristics to the final oolong tea.
A key characteristic of any oolong is its shape. This final rolling of the roasted and partially dried tea leaves defines the final appearance and flavor of the tea.
The shaped oolong tea leaves are then left to dry. It is important to completely reduce the moisture content in the tea leaves so they can be stored without spoiling.
Once the tea leaves have fully dried, they are visually sorted into various groups of similar size and color to create different lots of like teas. Each lot of tea receives a different industry grade that rates how the tea visually looks depending on how much whole leaf, broken leaf or unopened tea buds end up in the lot. For more information about how different teas are processed, visit our How is Tea Made?
Because oolong tea is oxidized at varying levels depending on the processing technique of the tea master, its flavor can range from light to full bodied, floral to grassy, and sweet to toasty. White and green tea leaves are harvested and dried immediately using the power of the sun or steaming and firing methods. Oolong tea is the first true tea that is oxidized — a process where enzymes are exposed to oxygen, resulting in a richer flavor and darker color. Depending on the tea master's preference, oolong teas can be oxidized anywhere from 8 to 80 percent.
Lightly oxidized teas are floral and light with mildly sweet flavors while heavily oxidized teas are darker with earthy and robust notes. Black tea and pu-erh tea are the most oxidized of the true teas. Pu-erh tea undergoes an aging oxidation process, making it unique from these other oxidized teas. Black tea, on the other hand, is oxidized completely using traditional methods. The oxidation process results in rich, earthy flavors and a full body.
Black teas have strong flavor notes and are a great replacement for a cup of coffee. Oolong leaf tea is largely a Chinese tea. Most of these types of tea are produced in China, though there are a few other small regions that craft oolong teas mainly in Taiwan. The oolong leaves here are steeped in a rich history. These types of tea were popular favorites among elite leaders dating back to the Qing Dynasty.
One particular variety of oolong tea — known as Black Dragon tea — was served as a tribute tea. Some of the highest quality oolong teas today include Da Hong Pao, which is one of the world's most expensive teas , and Bai Jiguan tea. Both of these teas are cultivated in the Wuyi Mountains. To sum up, black tea and oolong teas are really different tea classes.
There differences in processing methods result in different levels of oxidation. Good black teas often use small leaves, while this matters less for oolong tea. The difference in processing and raw material selection result in different flavours. While we've attempted to try our best to explain the differences, we highly recommend you to experience the difference yourself. Several years ago, cheap oolong was at first introduced as a weight loss tea in the West. Today, there's a wide offering of excellent artisan oolongs in different online and local stores.
The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Is Oolong Tea Black Tea? Oolong tea Black tea. No comments. Many Japanese people immediately imagine oolong tea when they think of Chinese tea.
Most of the oolong teas are produced in Fu-jian province and Taiwan. All rights of this website such as articles, photographs and pictures are reserved. Skip to main content. About us Japanese Change text size and color.
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