Green tea is more popular than ever - more and more people look for it at the store or order it at the cafe. You can also see it manifest itself in other products including lotion, shampoo, candles and other parts of our day-to-day life. Camellia Sinensis is the plant that produces green tea, as well as the subject of this article, Oolong tea. The difference is that Oolong is a semi-fermented brew whereas green tea is unfermented.
Fermentation of this tea is done by specially trained and versatile who can create multiple varieties of the tea with little difficulty. The leaves are stimulated until the oxidization process reaches the desired level and then cooked to finish the process.
In order to get the flavor that is so popular with consumers, the leaves undergo a second stage of processing. This is done by rolling and rubbing the tea. And if you are wondering how Oolong is classified into different levels, it all lies in the processing and the rating of the tea that would subsequently be done by a qualified expert.
A look back at the history of Oolong points us to ancient China, where it was first created in Fujian province. Some of the finest tea still comes from this area although it is now also produced in many other places including Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand.
A lot of experts believe drinking green tea on a regular basis is good for your health - this is by far the main reason for green tea's widespread popularity. Oolong is believed to have the same advantages of green tea, but with one key difference - they are retained even after processing. Some of the common benefits claimed are the stimulation of the metabolism and the ability to enhance the digestion.
If you believe that Oolong is your cup of tea, no pun intended, research is key in finding a good supplier. Buying items on the Internet, after all, is a boom or bust scenario - you could get suckered into a bad deal as easily as you can find a bargain on some good tea. The stuff in the local Chinese store tends to be of very low quality and not worth buying. Look for a specialist tea merchant and try a few different ones to find the best quality.
Aside from the ever-popular Formosa Oolong straight from Taiwan, other popular kinds of Oolong include Tie Guan Yin,Gao Shan and Vietnamese Golden Buds. If you don't like one variety, then feel free to try others. In the world of tea, few teas hit the spot like a nice Oolong, so keep on searching for the best variety that suits your taste and your efforts will be worth your while.
Fermentation of this tea is done by specially trained and versatile who can create multiple varieties of the tea with little difficulty. The leaves are stimulated until the oxidization process reaches the desired level and then cooked to finish the process.
In order to get the flavor that is so popular with consumers, the leaves undergo a second stage of processing. This is done by rolling and rubbing the tea. And if you are wondering how Oolong is classified into different levels, it all lies in the processing and the rating of the tea that would subsequently be done by a qualified expert.
A look back at the history of Oolong points us to ancient China, where it was first created in Fujian province. Some of the finest tea still comes from this area although it is now also produced in many other places including Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand.
A lot of experts believe drinking green tea on a regular basis is good for your health - this is by far the main reason for green tea's widespread popularity. Oolong is believed to have the same advantages of green tea, but with one key difference - they are retained even after processing. Some of the common benefits claimed are the stimulation of the metabolism and the ability to enhance the digestion.
If you believe that Oolong is your cup of tea, no pun intended, research is key in finding a good supplier. Buying items on the Internet, after all, is a boom or bust scenario - you could get suckered into a bad deal as easily as you can find a bargain on some good tea. The stuff in the local Chinese store tends to be of very low quality and not worth buying. Look for a specialist tea merchant and try a few different ones to find the best quality.
Aside from the ever-popular Formosa Oolong straight from Taiwan, other popular kinds of Oolong include Tie Guan Yin,Gao Shan and Vietnamese Golden Buds. If you don't like one variety, then feel free to try others. In the world of tea, few teas hit the spot like a nice Oolong, so keep on searching for the best variety that suits your taste and your efforts will be worth your while.
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