Oolong

Alternate meanings: Oolong (disambiguation)

Oolong (烏龍 wūlóng in the Mandarin Pinyin romanization) is a traditional Chinese type of tea somewhere in between green and black in oxidation (traditionally but improperly called "fermentation") time. Sometimes it is referred to as "yellow" or "red" tea.

The term "oolong" means "black dragon" or "black snake" in Chinese; various legends describe the origin of this curious name. In one legend, the owner of a tea plantation was scared away from his drying tea leaves by the appearance of a black snake; when he cautiously returned several days later, the leaves had been oxidized by the sun and gave a delightful brew.

Oolong tea leaves are bruised after picking and left to oxidize in the sun, though not as long as leaves intended for black tea. Tea connoisseurs classify the tea by its aroma (often fragrant or flowery), taste and aftertaste (often melony). The finest oolong tea in the world arguably comes from Taiwan. The following varieties are considered to be premium grade Oolong tea:

Dòng Dǐng (凍頂) Oolong, 'Freezing Peak Oolong' (grown on Dong Ding mountain in Nan Tou, Taiwan)
Tiě Guān Yīn (鐵觀音), 'Iron Goddess' (grown in Fújiàn province in China)