Oolong Tea Info

Browse all Teavana Oolong Teas.

Oolong tea is another healthy variety of tea.  It is also known as wulong (or wu long) tea and is often served in Chinese restaurants. Similar to green teas, oolong teas also originate from the Camellia sinensis plant and undergo similar processing steps.  However, after the tea leaves are picked, they are intentionally bruised by shaking.  While the leaves are drying, the edges of the bruised leaves turn reddish in color and the surface becomes light yellow due to fermentation and oxidation.  After some fermentation period the tea leaves are pan fired to create a semi-fermented tea.  Chinese oolong tea is fermented only long enough to achieve 12-20% fermentation and results in a lighter oolong, while a longer period results in 60-70% fermentation of Taiwanese oolong teas giving them a stronger oolong flavor. Loose leaf oolong tea is full-bodied with a sweet aroma and is low in caffeine, one cup of oolong tea has 10-15% of the caffeine in a cup of coffee.

History of Oolong Tea

There are three theories of how oolong tea came to be.  First, in the “tribute tea” theory, oolong was thought to have been derived from the Dragon-Phoenix tea cake when the emperors began favoring loose teas during the Ming dynasty in the 16^th century.  Then, the long black loose tea was called Wu (meaning black) Long (meaning dragon) tea; hence, wulong tea was also known as Black Dragon tea.  In the “Wuyi” theory, oolong tea was first made in the Wuyi Mountain  of the Fujian province.  Poems like the Wuyi Tea Song and Tea Tale tell of oolong tea being processed in the Wuyi Mountain.  Last, the “Anxi” theory claims oolong tea came from the Wulong plant, named after its discoverer, Sulong which was misinterpreted as Wulong.

The Best Oolong Teas

The best oolong tea is Monkey Picked Oolong Tea. Named by Buddhist monks who trained monkeys to harvest the youngest leaves from the top of wild tea trees, this loose leaf is made of the highest possible grade of oolong. It is a premium oolong tea that has an orchid-like aroma and smooth finish. Phoenix Mountain Dan Cong Oolong Tea is another delicious Oolong tea with a unique twist: each tree is harvested separately for a taste all their own. One of the best flavored oolong teas is Maharaja Chai Oolong tea. This loose leaf tea combines rich spices with delicious Oolong tea for a 'spice road' in your mouth. These oolong teas are just a few of our premium loose teas that are one of the more delicious types of tea. View all Teavana Oolong Teas.

Oolong Tea Preparation

Making loose leaf oolong teas tea usually requires hot water at 195º, 1.5 tsp of loose tea per 8 oz of water and steep time of 3 minutes.  Each of Teavana’s loose oolong teas will come with specific preparation instructions, including the amount of tea to use per 8 oz. of water, at what temperature the water should be, and how long the tea must steep before it is ready.  Please refer to the individual tea package for the exact instructions on how to make the best cup of oolong tea.