The word Oolong comes from two Chinese words. Oo is the word for black and long is dragon. So it is called Black Dragon in English. Oolong tea is pronounced O-liong te. But that is not the only name it goes by. It is also called Wu Lung or Wulung and it is the same meaning.
No matter what the name it goes by it comes from the same plant. Camellia Sinensis is the name of the plant and many different teas come from it. They are just fermented differently. In the case of the Black Dragon it is half way fermented. Fermented 70% to 10% oxidation.
The best of the Oolong teas are reserved for the richest and high government officials. It is found in a number of places. The first two places are Wu Yi and An’xi Mountains in Fujian. The other two are Taiwan and Guongdong.
There are two different ways it is processed. Most of the teas are made in ball-like form. The other is the oldest of the two and it is rolled into curly leaves.
In the Chinese tea culture it is a semi-oxidized and is called qingeha meaning clear tea. The taste is similar to green tea. Most times it is brewed to be on the strong side, with it being bitter but has a sweet aftertaste.
There are many different classifications of oolong teas. It comes in roasted or light. It has different aromas such as fruity or floral. Also the aftertaste and taste of the tea.
Oolong tea comes in many different kinds because of being from different places. The first of the many Oolongs is Da Hong Pao that is from Fujian province. It means Big Red Robe in Chinese. It is also one of the famous Oolong teas that are famous.
Taiwan is also one of the places that the Oolong tea comes from. Dongding means frozen summit or ice peak. It is tightly rolled and has a light smell. There is many more but this is only two of them.
Oolong tea is used for many things, one of them being weight loss. But you can’t drink it and expect it to lose the weight for you. You have to have the right diet and exercise for it to work.
It can also be used for diabetes, eczema, allergies and bacterial infections. Cavities and cancer is two you can use the tea for. So there is many uses for Oolong and it has many different kinds to choose from.It is also good for relaxing and talking with old friends.
There is a debate on where it got its name from. Some say it is from a direct descendant of the Dragon-Phoenix Tea Cake tribute tea. Others say it is from the Wuyi Mountains. But two others say it is from the Anxi plant or a man named Wu Laing later corrupted or miss translated as Wu Long. No matter where it is from it has healthy benefits and a rich taste.