My latest tea obsession is oolong tea. I am now drinking Prince of Peace organic Oolong tea. The tea is from China’s northern Fujian province. I have always been drinking mostly green tea in recent years, mixing it with white tea and fruit tea. But I am not a fan of black tea. Oolong for me is more like a mix of green and black tea. It’s a very mild tea with a bright golden color. It never gets bitter and has a pleasant reminscent of coffee too. A cup of oolong tea contains 30 mg of caffiene. I usually drink tea instead of coffee.
Oolong is mostly grown and processed in China, but much loved in Japan. Oolong tea is harvest very differently then other teas. The first stage is picking units of one bud and three leaves. Followed by exposure to the sun. The second stage is to dry them indoors to promote fermentation. The most important part in the production of oolong tea is when to stop fermentation. This happens when the leaves are 30% red and 70% green. It is now semi-fermented. Then during the final stages, they are rubbed repeatedly to generate good flavor, aroma, and texture. Some say this makes it more gentle on your stomach as well. And finally allowed to dry using charcoal.
Tea has been in the news lately for it’s health benefits. Tea contains a large amount of polyphenols, namely tannin. According to the Department of Dentistry, Osaka University, consuming polyphenol found in oolong tea helps fight tooth decay significantly. There are even claims that drinking tea also helps beat obesity.
In many Chinese and Japanese restaurants, tea is served with each meal. I prefer drinking green tea after eating tempura or fried rice. The tea helps cut out the grease factor. But the tea comes in little tea cup and I end up drinking at least 5 cups. Usually at home I try to drink about 3 to 4 cups a day, more so in the winter time. But you have to also remember to add a little bit of lemon juice to the tea or it could lead to iron loss. A problem for women who are anemic.
For true tea lovers, the best type of tea is whole leaf tea. I have tried some and can’t really notice that much difference. Whole leaf tea usually sell for three times as much as packaged tea. Maybe I’m not just a connoisseur of fine tea after all. But I am happy to have discover Oolong tea and will continue drinking it.
Photos from Amazon.com Prince of Peace Organic Oolong $12 for 100 teabags. You can also shop around for some good prices. I find the best prices for tea is at my local Chinese supermarket. The selection is huge and the price is decent.
12:04 am on March 10th, 2009
I like to drink green tea also, but have never add lemon in mine, do you also add sugar?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen this tea, I need to check it out the next time I’m in the Asian store. I usually buy their Jasmin tea, the one in the yellow tin can, I like the aroma and flavor, and also might be that it’s the one that I grew up with.
11:49 pm on March 11th, 2009
No sugar in my tea. Sometimes I add honey or agave into fruit tea, but never green tea.
I know exactly what tea tin you are talking about since my parents just love that Jasmine tea. It was the only brand we had in the house when I was growing up too. It smells nice and has hint of jasmine flower.