Oolong tea

Oolong tea are to produce a full-bodied beverage, the leaves for oolong tea (also called Wu Long Tea,or WuLong Tea) must not be picked too early or at too tender a stage, but just when they reach their peak. They must be processed immediately. Unlike leaves for green tea, those destined to be oolong are wilted in direct sunlight. Then they are shaken in tubular bamboo baskets to bruise the leaf edges. This bruising is what makes the edges oxidize faster than the center. The leaves are alternately shaken and spread out to air-dry several times until the veins become transparent and the leaf surface yellows. The edges become reddish as a result of oxidation, while the center remains green, and the leaves give off an orchid-like fragrance. The fermentation is arreste halfway through by firing. The temperature for oolong is higher than for other teas. The final product contains less moisture, which enables it to keep longer.

Oolong tea is produced in Fujian , the province of its origin,China, and some othersincluding Taiwan and Guangdong province. The technique for processing it was taken by Fukienese(Fujian) migrants to Taiwan, and that island's Tungting (Dongding) oolong (This tea is gown in Tung Ting Mountains at an altitude 600 meters, located in central Taiwan famous tea growing region, Nantou Luku) is well known. There may be some difference among mainland and Taiwanese oolongs is taste and medicinal function, due to different soil, processing, and fermentation time. Oolongs from the mainland are said to have more body, the result of longer oxidation, than those from Taiwan.

Oolong tea was actually shown to increase metabolism even more than green tea. Oolong tea increased resting energy needs by 10 percent compared to 4 percent for green tea. At first glance it might seem like drinking Oolong tea would be better than the green tea, but researchers found that the teas work for different reasons. Green tea is high in catechins and caffeine, while Oolong tea is high in polymerized polyphenols. The research suggests that by taking both teas, an even greater fat-burning effect can be achieved.

Oolong is a traditional Chinese type of tea somewhere in between green and black in oxidation.

The term "oolong" means "black dragon" or "black snake" in Chinese; various legends describe the origin of this curious name. In one legend, the owner of a tea plantation was scared away from his drying tea leaves by the appearance of a black snake; when he cautiously returned several days later, the leaves had been oxidized by the sun and gave a delightful brew.

Another tale tells of a man named Wu Liang (later corrupted to Wu Long, or Oolong) who discovered oolong tea by accident when he was distracted by a deer after a hard day's tea-picking, and by the time he remembered about the tea it had already started to oxidise. Others say that the tea is called "oolong" because the leaves look like little black dragons which wake when you pour hot water on them.

"Oolong" tea leaves are distinguished, when dried, by their black thread-like appearance.