Try to improve your style with newly flavored oolong teas – it’s a nice change for your routine tea break. The basic reason is many people of the West haven’t occurred to delicious taste of oolong tea anyway. It should be mentioned that we have a great variety of white, black and green teas from the whole world, though oolong teas happen to be a rarity. Moreover, mixed with another tinge of flavor, oolong teas are turning out to be more a unique than a quite available kind of tea.

Asia is the most prominent oolong teas’ consumer. It was born in China and still said to be national product. But Western countries seem to be not enough informed about even the fact of existence of such a treaty.

("Small pot of oolong tea" by Jon Davis. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

Occasionally it’s named as Wulong tea because of its… inventor. Once upon a time Wu Liang, a tea gardener, was occupied with picking up and processing tea when on a sudden he glanced a river deer. The logic of old time people was quite another than now, so he killed it and was busy with preparing the bulk. Tea leaves was left without drying for a day, the man just forgot about them.

Remembered then, the leaves started to change color, and Wu feared that they went wrong, though completed their drying anyway. He tried a cup – and that’s how fragrant and tasteful tea appeared.

Just a little remembrance: oolong is something in the middle between green and black teas. It practically means that fermentation takes place for not so a long time as in case with black tea.

Early morning is an appropriate time for picking and indoor drying furthers fermentation process. The leaves ratio should reach the point of 70% green to 30% red – then fermentation should be stopped. Further leaves should be chafed – this procedure gives them more powerful taste, texture and odor. Afterwards charcoal is in use for final drying, and inspection. And finally the stage of package is led.

Fujian region in China is the general exporter of the oolong teas, others are Taiwan and a little amount of them is raised in the Darjeeling region, India and a considerable pinch – in Vietnam.

It’s definitely interesting that Taiwan name of oolong tea is Formosa tea, because of country original title. The issue is that there oolong tea is fermented for a little time in comparison with Chinese processing, and another specificity is percent of fermentation – 15% instead standard 30%. These types of Taiwan oolong teas are usually considered as “pouchongs”. Moreover, they’re normally withered in the sun, not indoors.

(Pouchong Oolong Tea)

Oolong teas have specific flavor of fruits with tinges of smoke or toasted taste. Normally they are highly odoriferous, having floral aroma. Such qualities give a nice opportunity to mix them with fruit touches. Such type of blending advanced this oolong original taste. Several mostly wide-spread oolong mixes are:

Coconut Oolong – it’s a really tropical thing, the mix of pouching tea, coconut and oolong develops sweet, fruity and soft tea. It’s nicely tasteful iced and hot for lightness and mellowness.

(Orange blossom + Coconut Oolong Tea)

Orange Oolong – it’s occasionally mixed with bergamot oil and orange blossoms. In its sense, Orange blossom oolong supplies the tea with highly soft and sweet flavor of orange. In case when addition is bergamot oil the tea comes out as a stern and flavorful beverage. The orange is a material for bergamot oil and its extract is a significant component of very among Earl Grey teas. That’s why you may find it in a store as Earl Grey oolong.

Orchid Oolong – a practically unique one, perfumed with actual orchid petals. They can be collected at certain moments, right when comes orchids bloom. Odorous tea with soft sweetness is coming out of them. Be careful while buying since it should be mentioned that here are in much use artificial additions, unfortunately.

Peach Oolong – lots of people depict this tea as fruity and peachy-like. That’s why additions for this tea like pieces of peach would be a right choice. It’s the most efficient way to nicely underline oolong’s flavor and aroma.

Almond Blossom Oolong – it’s flavored with graceful almond blossom and fragments of almond create a soft tea with accurate sweetness and a nuance of almond flavor.

(Almond Blossom Oolong)

Of course, there lots of oolong tea’ blends and we’re unable to cover all of them in this article. Because of its normal fruity taste, oolong’ teas are able to be blended with botanicals and various fruits. Consequently, the palette of usual oolong tea’ taste can be diversified with positively weird and profound tasty tinges of dressed tea. Diverse mixes can be a lucky streak with practically all dishes and at various times of the day.

If you’d like some examples, energetic and spicy one – Earl Grey oolong – is directly appropriate for a midday food or a coconut oolong in your cup is a nice stuff for a sultry afternoon. And softy almond oolong is a nice one for relaxation after a strained and active day.

Oolong tea, consequently, is the most multifaceted among others which you can find in shops anyway. Most of them are quite expensive and greatly of an occasional rate in comparison of regular available oolong teas, but it’s worthy of it. Versatility and ability to develop the most complicated and exquisite flavor mixes – is the main specialty of this kind of teas. Just give it a try – experience a little diversity of available oolong teas and you’ll notice a real superiority of such beverage and you surely would like to taste it again.