Oolong tea. Basics
Oolong tea is the latest tea type created and considered a pinnacle of tea manufacturing. It is neither a red tea, nor a green tea, it falls into its own category of teas, sometimes labelled as turquoise tea.
Oolong tea is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea that, according to Chinese classification, takes place somewhere in the middle between green and red tea.
Oolong is not fully fermented while processing: not the entire leaf is exposed to it, only edges and part of the surface. At the same time, the inner layers of the tea leaf are not fermented and retain their inherent structure. Therefore, depending on the production technique of a particular tea master, the taste of oolong may be more like fresh green tea, or like a strong red tea.
Most often, oolong tea is rolled up into tight balls or tubes. Rolling is an important aspect of oolong production: it defines the look, colour and aroma of the final tea leaves. Depending on how and when the leaves are curled during processing, the tea master can subtly alter the final flavour of the tea.
Manufacturing technique
For the tea production traditionally masters use the top leaves and leaf buds with white villi, while oolong is made from juicy ripe leaves collected from mature bushes.
The collected leaves wither in the sun from half an hour to an hour. Then the leaves have to cool down, so they are put in baskets in the shade for fermentation. Every hour the leaves are gently mixed and kneaded, but very carefully, so the leaves won’t break. After reaching the desired degree of fermentation, it is interrupted by heating: drying the leaves at a temperature of 250-300 degrees. First, the leaves are briefly dried for several minutes, then the tea is rolled and fully dried to remove moisture and completely stop fermentation. Next, the tea is packed and sent for sale.
Origins
Oolong tea is a true artisanal skill in tea processing. The appearance, shape and flavour of oolong tea vary from region to region and from master to master. The origin of oolong is claimed in both China and Taiwan, but the tea is still highly valued in both countries.
Where did the name Oolong come from? One legend says that the Chinese called large dark tea leaves that were highly oxidized, oolongs or black dragons, because they were rolled into a shape that reminded them of the mystical Chinese dragon.
The second legend says that one day, the tea farmer Wu Lian (later shortened to Wulong) was distracted by a deer after a hard day of picking tea leaves. When he remembered about the basket and returned for the tea leaves, he saw that they had already begun to oxidize.
It doesn’t matter in which story you believe, it is true that the most famous Chinese oolongs are grown in high mountainous areas in cool weather. Harsh environmental conditions give these oolongs the rich flavour they are renowned for.
The most famous oolongs of course originated in China and Taiwan, but different styles of oolongs are produced today in other parts of the world like Japan, for example.
Resources:
Determination of Caffeine Content in Tea and Maté Tea by Using Different Methods: Czech Journal of Food Sciences. DOI:10.17221/612-CJFS
Green tea: A boon for periodontal and general health. DOI: 10.4103/0972-124X.99256
Caffeine Informer: Black Tea
Caffeine Informer: Green Tea
Authors:
Infographic: Vlada Morgun
Text: Vlada Morgun