What is Oolong Tea? How It’s Made, Famous Oolong Teas and Health Benefits

by on in Tea Musings

What is oolong tea? How is oolong tea made? The health benefits of oolong tea are extensive. What are the best tasting kinds of oolong tea available?

What is oolong tea?

Oolong tea comes from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, just like other delicious tea varieties, such as white tea, black tea and green tea.

How is oolong tea processed?

Oolong teas are the hardest teas for tea masters to produce because they can be oxidized 10% to 85%. This means they can look like a green tea with very little heat put on the leaves, or they can have a lot of heat put on the leaves and they can be very dark like a black tea.

One of the things that makes oolong teas taste so great is that when they process the leaves the bruise them and oil comes out so they have a very smooth mouthfeel.

Oolong is most commonly grown in two main countries, China and Taiwan. Chinese varieties give us a darker and “woody” tasting cup, where as the Taiwanese varieties produce a lighter, more floral tasting brew.

What are the health benefits of drinking oolong tea?

There are many health benefits of drinking oolong tea.

Oolong tea may help your liver to metabolize fat so they are very good for weight loss.

Oolongs also encourage the body to produce T cells (your fighter cells).

When people are sad or depressed we recommend drinking oolong tea, as they are mood elevators.

If you eat fatty foods and have bloating as a result, try having some oolong tea after your meal. It may help take away the bloated feeling after eating a rich meal. They might also be helpful as a hangover preventative.

Famous oolong teas

Some famous oolong teas that you may have heard of are listed below. If you haven’t tried these, you should!

Where to buy the best organic oolong teas online

The best oolong tea is organic, since it is free of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides that may be used while the tea is growing.

The Path of Tea sells 15 different loose leaf oolong teas online. We only carry organic oolong teas (not conventionally grown teas), along with organic loose leaf teas of all varieties. Try one of these delicious oolong teas today:

 

This content has been adapted from the book Your Path of Tea for Health of Body, Mind and Spirit by the late Thia McKann, Tea Master and Owner of The Path of Tea.