Oolong Tea
Oolong teas fall between Green and Black teas on the oxidation scale. While this may seem an insignificant variable, it yields a dizzying array of tea styles and flavors. Literally translated, Oolong means "Black Dragon". There are two primary theories on the origin of this name. The first is that the name is derived from the appearance of the original Oolongs grown in the Wuyi Mountains. The large, twisted leaf of the Wuyi Oolongs are more oxidized than their Green tea cousins and could be argued to look something like a black dragon. The second theory tells of a tea maker who was scared away from tending to his Green tea by a black dragon. By the time he had returned, the leaves had partially oxidized, and so he named this new form of tea "Black Dragon".
Today, Oolong tea is produced in most tea growing regions including Darjeling, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Kenya. The method in which Oolong tea is processed originated in the Wu Yi Mountains of Fujian, China. Later, when Taiwan began producing tea, it was called Formosa Oolong, after the name given to the island by Dutch explorers ("formosa" means "beautiful"). Some of the more famous examples of Oolong tea include Formosa Oolong, Wu Yi, Ti Guan Yin and Pouchong. While the techniques have spread, China and Taiwan remain the primary producers of traditional Oolongs.
Oolong is a "semi-oxidized" tea that's made from large, mature leaves to produce a full-bodied taste. After being picked, the leaves are withered to remove moisture. The leaves are then left to dry in the shade before the semi-oxidation process begins. Oolongs can vary tremendously according to the tea makers skills and the soil conditions of the tea bushes. When one says that and Oolong is "semi-oxidized" it means that it is oxidized to a point between black and green. While the leaves wilt naturally, enzymes begin to interact with the oxygen in the air, turning the leaf brown. Processors interrupt the oxidation by stirring the leaves in heated pans, then rolling and drying them.
Oolong teas vary greatly not only in taste, but in preparation time. Dark Oolong teas (highly oxidized) taste best when prepared with boiling water, and steeped for three to five minutes (or longer depending on your preference). These tend to be voluminous and the recommended ratio is two teaspoon of leaves per cup of water. On the other hand, greener Oolongs (lightly oxidized) taste best when prepared with water that is cooler-than-boiling (195F) and steeped for two to three minutes. Recommended ratio is one heaping teaspoon per cup of water.
One popular characteristic of Oolong tea is that it can typically be steeped multiple times without a significant decrease in quality. There are three reasons for this:
1. Leaf Shape: Oolongs are usually made with larger leaves that are rolled or pressed into ball, curls or twists. As a result, less of the leaf is exposed to the water initially. As the leaf steeps, it unfurls and slowly absorbs water. Later infusions continue the unfurling of the leaf and pull more of the essential oils from the inner folds.
2. Varietal: Most Oolongs are made from Camellia Sinensis Sinensis, otherwise known as the China plant. This varietal lends itself more to secondary infusions than the Assamica varietal.
3. Water Temperature: Unlike black teas, many Oolongs are best brewed at temperatures below boiling. These cooler water temperatures extract the astringent polyphenols from the leaf more slowly.
The Health Benefits of Oolongs
A number of companies have gone to great lenghts in recent years to market Oolong teas (under the names Wulong or Wu-Long) as weight loss teas. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that Oolong teas are any more effective than other teas in aiding weight loss. ALL teas have the same benefits which are discussed in greater detail in the lessons on the health benefits of tea.
Monkey Picked Oolongs
One other popular myth is that there are teas picked by highly trained primates. We've heard this myth told two ways. The first, is that the Bhuddist monks in China trained monkeys to climb up into the cliffs and out onto the branches to access hard to reach leaves. The second version is that the monks threw sticks and stones at the monkeys already in the tea treas, causing them to jump around and break branches off, allowing the monks to easily retrieve the leaves. Regardless of your preferred version, there is no evidence today that monkeys are involved in any level of tea production. "Monkey Picked" is used today simply to refer to high grown teas - usual Ti Kuan Yins from China which also go by the name "Iron Goddess of Mercy".
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