I guess you have heard oolong tea before, from your good friend, TV show or newspaper, and you might somehow know that oolong tea may benefit your state of health, but you're not that positive about it. So, for everybody new at all to oolong, this article is for your needs.
What Is Oolong Tea?
Tea is gaining lots of traction recently beyond the borders of China, particularly in western countries. There are 3 major different types: green tea, oolong tea, and black tea. And oolong tea is really unique, which is a semi-fermented tea.Having said that, you may try to ask what exactly is semi-fermented tea?
For the manufacturing approach is rather sophisticated, I have to put in a way which you are able to understand quickly (I will cover much more information later in the following paragraphs):
You must try green tea before, which is favored around the globe, beneficial to fat loss. The green tea will never be fermented whatsoever, which implies once the tea leaves are reaped, they will be roasted immediately, keeping the ingredients of tea the way it is.
The black tea is actually quite contrary, entirely fermented, which means chemical changes have taken place for a long time, then the fundamental natural ingredients are already transformed into a new form; therefore, the quality of black tea is totally distinctive from green tea. But, the oolong tea won't go that far. It will be somewhere between green tea and black tea, getting highly distinct tastes as well as some added health benefits.
Etymology for Oolong
This Chinese tea was actually originally known as Beiyuan Tea, which was a tribute tea. What was a tribute tea? It was a specific tea given to royals or an emperor, like a tribute to them.In fact, Beiyuan is a place within the north area of Fujian province (home of oolong tea).
Then the tea farmers of An-xi county, south part of Fujian, considerably improved the typical tea making techniques, for that reason the Beiyuan Tea was developed into a whole new category. It is known that the name of first person who accidentally obtained this specific tea producing skill was pronounced as "oolong", and so in order to memorize him, this later popular tea was termed as "oolong tea".
In many other places, oolong tea is also interpreted as "Wu long", precisely the same pronunciation, having said that I need to clarify here since it befuddles lots of people. The reason behind different spelling is related to two distinctive transliteration methods: the Wades Giles method gives us Oolong, and the Chinese Pinyin system gives us Wu long. But sometimes(rarely), oolong tea has other names, such as brown tea(named after its color) and rock tea(some varieties of excellent oolong tea actually grow over the rocks/cliffs).
So, if you read here, you might get the idea of oolong tea now. But I will not stop here. Like I promised, I will uncover the manufacturing routine, which will be more engaging and illuminating, which means you can understand this tea more deeply. So, bear with me. The Producing Routine This rather complex manufacturing process has 7 important steps.
1. The Withering Step - Leaves are unfolded, normally under the sun, with the purpose of removing dampness, softening the leaf cell wall and starting natural enzymatic fermentation.
2. The Turning Over Step - Specifically designed systems are widely used to break down the leaves, increasing oxidation and allowing the chemical factors, within the stems, to blend with the leaves. This step contributes a lot towards the balance of quality in the finished product.
3. The Oxidization Step - The leaves are now given time to rest as natural fermentation process moves on. Throughout this step, leaves can change coloring, often into darker green because cell structure further disintegrates. And now the tea is growing an intense flavor.
4. The Kill Green Step - This step will stop natural fermentation process although keeping the leaves unchanged. 5. The Rolling Step - To improve the entire amazing flavor and give shape to the leaves, cold or hot rollers (occasionally both) are employed break down the leaves.
6. The Drying Step - Approaches such as hot air, sun or pan drying are being used at this moment. The flavor and aroma are further intensified, whilst the step also serves the purpose of controlling the growth of mold and eliminating any grassy taste that remains.
7. The Firing Step - At last, to give the needed smoky taste the leaves is going to be roasted.
Places Where Oolong Tea Grows
Oolong tea grows primarily in northern Fujian Province, southern Fujian Province (the best place producing one of the best oolong, i.e. An-xi county), Canton and Taiwan. The 4 major areas yield the most of oolong tea in China, if not in the entire world. In addition, oolong tea has been found replanted outside of China, which includes Thailand and India. How Can You Reap The Benefits Of Using Oolong Tea?
You may be tired of water (like me), perhaps you are tired of green tea (like me before bored with water) or other types of tea, perhaps your friend told you that oolong tea is often very good for your quality of life due to the high poly-phenol antioxidant properties, having said that you can still have concerns in your head, that's OK.
You shouldn't push yourself, just click the links in the bottom of the article, go right into the topic which making you wonder if you need to give oolong tea a shot or not. For the moment, I will just list the benefits here.
-Skyrocket Weight Reduction
-Resist the Signs of Aging
-Lessen Risk of Heart Disease
-Reduce Most cancers
-Maintain Diabetic issues
-Relieve Emotional tension
-Minimize Pain
-Reduce Cholesterol
So, there it is. Now, you might get the main idea of what is oolong tea. And in case you want to learn more about oolong tea benefits, click the links here or take a look at other posts at oolong tea community. Have an amazing day and happy drinking!
by David Xiaottout
