Oolong Tea Facts
Interesting Oolong Tea Facts
If your sudden interest in oolong has set you out on a search for oolong tea facts, then you have certainly found the right place! Oolong tea has been the tea of choice among many Asian families for centuries; however it still has a lot of wooing to do in the “Western world” where many have yet to even hear of this special tea. We are going to discuss oolong tea facts that range from the historical aspect of oolong as well as health benefits and preparation methods. –So stick around and enjoy!
The first of our oolong tea facts will start with a bit of history on this particular tea. It originally hails from southern China, although it is now also grown in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Hong Kong. It was first brought over to European nations in the 1800’s, however oolong never seemed to “hit it off” with the Europeans as well as it did with the Asian culture. On a worldwide scale, the largest amount of tea consumed is black, followed by green, oolong, and then rare white teas. Oolong tea is produced from aged tea leaves that are either rolled into long, curly leaves or pressed into the shape of a tight ball. It is always recommended that if one wants to experience the full taste of oolong, they should brew it using loose leaves rather than the tea bag form.
Many people are aware of the health benefits of both black and green teas, but few realize how beneficial oolong tea can be. Oolong is considered to be in a class of its own when it comes to tea because it shares properties of both black and green tea. This is most obvious in the case of oxidization, which is the official term for fresh tea leaves reacting with oxygen molecules during processing. Black tea is fully oxidized while green tea is un-oxidized altogether. Then we get oolong, which is oxidized anywhere from 10 – 70 percent. This makes it the most complex tea to process of the three.
Speaking in terms of health benefits, oolong tea contains common antioxidants from both black and green teas. Because oolong tea is so rich in a combined amount of antioxidants, it is a veritable “super tea” for health benefits! Oolong is often advertised as a weight loss tea, which isn’t really far from the truth. This tea is chock full of enzymes that aid the body in breaking down food, thus giving the metabolism a healthy boost. One shouldn’t expect to lose hundreds of pounds by simply adding this tea to their diet, but it could prove useful in boosting one’s metabolism.
In addition to weight loss, oolong is widely used to soothe the symptoms of upset stomach and indigestion. Because it has shown to aid in detoxifying the body, the Japanese consider it to be an aid to maintaining or improving liver health. It has also been known to help strengthen the immune system and improve dental health. Some also swear that it can be a benefit in obtaining younger looking skin; however there hasn’t been much scientific research to back this claim.
As for preparation, the general rule is two teaspoons of oolong tea per cup. (If brewing in a tea pot, multiply two teaspoons by however many cups the pot makes.) If one uses high quality oolong leaves, they may reuse the leaves up five times. Oolong is one of the few teas in which the flavor improves with every re-use of the leaves. It should be steeped for at least three minutes, however, if it is steeped for five minutes, over 80% of the antioxidant catechins will be released—meaning the drinker gets a greater health benefit from each cup! This steeping rule applies for any tea, not just oolong. With oolong, it is said that the best cups will be the fourth and fifth if the tea leaves are reused. This tea tastes much closer to green tea than it does black, as it does taste more flowery and smooth than the typical earthy and bitter taste of black tea. If the type of oolong purchased has been roasted, it may reflect that flavor.
According to these oolong tea facts, it seems that this particular tea is greatly underrated in both the health benefit category as well as flavor. I don’t know about you, but I think it is definitely worthy of a shot at becoming a regular in the tea cabinet!