2012年11月9日星期五

Oolong Tea



Oolong tea, which is also known as Wu Long tea or Brown tea is quite a popular tea due to its abundant advantages. This tea is manufactured from the tree, Camellia sinensis, from which other types of tea are also produced. The characteristics of Oolong tea lie between green tea and black tea though it can be said that they are more towards green tea. But there is a difference in the processing method of green tea and oolong tea. Let us take a look at some facts about oolong tea that will give information on the history, processing and health benefits of oolong tea.

Oolong Tea Facts - History
Oolong tea is more commonly known as Black Dragon tea in China, which is its native. There are a number of legends related to the origin of the Oolong tea. It is said that the tree got its name Wulong because the name of the person who discovered it was Sulong. Some historians believe that Oolong tea was manufactured during the Ming dynasty in the 16th century. This tea was discovered in the Wuyi mountain that came under the Fujian province. Two literary records that belong to the Qing dynasty that existed from 1644 to 1911, has some information related to the manufacturing of oolong tea. These two records are Wuyi Tea Song and Tea Tale that were written by Yi Chaoqun and Wang Chaotang, respectively.

Another legend says that oolong tea was first processed in the 10th century as a tribute tea in Northern South dynasty. In those days tribute teas were those teas that were produced specially for kings and emperors. The kings of the Song dynasty were popular for their aesthetic interests that included love for drinking tea. These emperors built a Beiyuan tea garden in Fujian province. The tea garden was renowned for its tea in the form of tea cakes. This tree garden consisted of two types of tea cakes, Dragon and Phoenix. However during the Ming dynasty, loose tea powder was preferred to these tea cakes. And thus, Beiyuan started manufacturing loose tea powder that was dark and glossy and was called Black Dragon Tea. The third legend states that a hunter (who because of his dark skin tone was called black dragon) had some tea leaves left in his hunting bag for a long time. One day the hunting bag got oxidized due to damage when he was hunting as a result of which the leaves developed a great aroma and the tea was named after him as Black Dragon Tea. Oolong tea was introduced to Europe in the 19th century.

Oolong Tea Facts - Manufacturing
As discussed earlier, oolong tea characteristics lie between green and black tea. The processing of oolong tea is quite complex as compared to other types of teas. Green tea is not at all oxidized, black tea is completely oxidized, while oolong tea is semi-oxidized. It is oxidized in the range of 10 to 70%. Oolong tea is generally harvested in the spring season. Once the leaves are ready for manufacturing, they are plucked and left to dry. After drying, they are collected in baskets for withering. Withering bruises the edges of the leaves which initiates the process of oxidation. Oxidation of leaves is nothing but reaction of fresh leaves with the atmospheric oxygen. To stop the process of oxidation, the leaves are fired. Once the leaves are roasted they are rolled and fired for a few more times and after complete cooling, they are fired once more for the last time. The level of the oxidation decides the quality and features of oolong tea.

Oolong Tea Facts - Health Benefits
As mentioned earlier, oolong tea has a number of health benefits. It is considered as one of the effective ways of losing weight and there is scientific evidence for the relation between oolong tea and weight loss. Regular consumption of oolong tea, along with proper diet and exercise has benefited many people in controlling their obesity. There are also other health benefits of oolong tea that include improvement of the immune system. Regarding questions about oolong tea and caffeine, of course caffeine is one of the contents of oolong which plays an important role in weight loss. Caffeine activates the nervous system for a process called thermogenesis. It is a process where fat is used as fuel. This burns the body fat and thereby cuts down weight. Oolong tea also contains polyphenols. These polyphenols increase the rate of metabolism, prevents tooth decay, etc. Oolong tea also helps to destroy free radicals that are responsible for cancer and aging.

Oolong Tea Facts - Regions and Consumption
China and Taiwan are two main countries that manufacture oolong tea. It is consumed in great amount in regions of Southeast Asia, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. These days, Sri Lanka, India and Nepal also produce oolong tea. The quality of the oolong tea also depends on the region from where it is processed. Of all the teas consumed all over the world, oolong tea contributes 2% of tea consumption.

Above listed were some of the important oolong tea facts. With its ample health benefits, oolong tea is becoming popular day by day. I hope the article helped you to get brief information on oolong tea.

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