What is Oolong Tea? A Complete Guide to The Oolong Tea Types And 5 Benefits

Oolong tea is a kind of partially fermented tea

What is Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is a kind of traditional Chinese tea, which belongs to partially fermented tea.
Just like green tea and black tea, oolong tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant(healthline.com). And have been picked, withering, light rolling, stir fixation, rolling, and baking process.
The oolong tea and the green tea come from the same tea tree, but the most difference between them is whether fermentation.
Because the catechins in the tea will combine as the fermentation temperature increases, the color of the tea will become darker, but the astringency of the tea will also be reduced. And the green tea is a kind of non-fermented tea.
So the oolong tea both has the fresh taste of green tea, and the baking aroma of black tea.

What Are The Types of Oolong Tea?

More common such as Tie Guan Yin, Phoenix Dan Cong, and Da Hong Pao tea are belong to oolong tea. Oolong tea can be classified according to various conditions, but mainly according to the variety of tea, producing area and fermentation degree to be divided.

1. According to the origin

• Southern Fujian Oolong tea

The most famous Anxi Tie Guan Yin tea is the representative of Southern Fujian oolong tea.
“Tie Guan Yin” is not only the name of the tea, but also the name of tea tree species. The shape of this tea is tight and tied. Some tea leaves like the hook, and some like the dragonfly head.
Because the caffeine evaporates with the water, it forms a layer of hoar frost on the tea surface, so-called “Green Frosting.”
The Tie Guan Yin still has a strong and lasting aroma after many times of steeping. Smell freshness and taste sweet.

• Northern Fujian Oolong tea

The main Northern Fujian Oolong tea is the Wuyi Rock tea. The most famous Wuyi Rock tea is Da Hong Pao tea.
The shape of Wuyi Rock tea is plump and uniform, tight knot and curl, color bright and luster. The back of the tea leaves has some bubble like the frog skin, the body shows brown color, the root and the margin shows vermilion, and the center shows dark green.
Wuyi Rock tea has a strong baking aroma, but taste mellow, got some “rock feeling”

• Guangdong Oolong tea

Guangdong Oolong tea is famous for Dan Cong, and the most famous is Phoenix Dan Cong.
Phoenix Dan Cong tea is produced in the area of phoenix mountain, Chaozhou city, Guangdong province.
The shape of Phoenix Dan Cong tea leaves is full, light yellow with a tiny green, strong aroma and will be lasting after steeping many times.
Phoenix Dan Cong also has a variety of classification according to the fragrance. What is interesting, one kind of Dan Cong is called ”Dark Shit Aroma.” Although the origin of the name is disputed, it is certain that the tea does not smell like duck shit.

A kind of Phoenix Dan Cong – Duck Shit Aroma

• Taiwan Oolong tea

Taiwan oolong tea was introduced to Taiwan from Fujian province during the Qing dynasty. The most famous is the Dong Ding Oolong tea, Pekoe Oolong tea and Pouchong tea.

2. According to the degree of fermentation

The degree of tea fermentation affects the aroma and taste of tea. The degree of tea fermentation affects the aroma and taste of tea. According to the degree of fermentation, oolong tea can generally be divided into
Lightly fermented tea (about 10% to 25%)
Moderate fermented tea (about 25% to 50%)
Heavy fermented tea (about 50% to 70%)

• Lightly fermented tea

Lightly fermented oolong tea is represented by Wenshan Pouchong tea and Tie Guan Yin. The fermentation degree of Wenshan Pouchong tea is the lightest in oolong tea, about 8% – 10%. The roasting is also light, which is more similar to green tea and stands out in oolong tea.
The “Fen-flavor Tie Guan Yin” belongs to the popular light fermentation oolong tea with a fermentation degree of 15%-20%. Lasting strong aroma and taste different from other types of tea, worth to have a try.

Fen-flavor Tie Guan Yin Oolong tea is worth to have a try

• Moderate fermented tea

The fermentation degree of “Luzhou-flavor” oolong tea produced by traditional technology is generally high and belongs to moderate fermentation, which is mainly represented by Tieguanyin, Wuyi Rock tea, Northern Fujian narcissus and Guangdong Phoenix Dan Cong.

• Heavy fermented tea

Pekoe oolong tea is a representative of severely fermented oolong tea. Pekoe oolong tea is a unique and famous tea in Taiwan. It is the most fermented tea in oolong tea. Generally, the fermentation degree is 60%, some may up to from 75% to 85%.

Taiwan famous Pekoe Oolong tea

3. According to the shape

The oolong tea also is classified according to the shape of tea. Some kinds look like balls, and some look like a sword, some may be made to a brick tea.

• Strip shape oolong tea

Such as Wenshan Paochong and Phoenix Dan Cong

The strip shape oolong tea

• Spherical oolong tea

Such as Tie Guan Yin and Dongding oolong tea

The spherical shape oolong tea

• Lump shape oolong tea

Such as Phoenix narcissus brick tea

The lump shape oolong brick tea

Benefits of Oolong Tea

Oolong tea contains more than 450 organic chemical components and 40 inorganic mineral elements. They contain many nutrients and medicinal ingredients.
The organic chemical components mainly include tea polyphenols, vegetable bases, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, pectin, organic acids, lipopolysaccharides, sugars, enzymes, pigments and so on.
A lot of nutrition element, make oolong tea can bring a lot of benefits to the human body.

1. Loss weight benefits

Oolong tea can reduce weight by dissolving lipid. Because the main component of tea –Tannin, have a close relationship with lipid metabolism.
Oolong tea can lower cholesterol in the blood. Drinking a cup of oolong tea before having a meal, the hot one without sugar is the best. The water temperature for steeping tea is better at about 80℃-90℃; the tea should be drank in 30-60 mins, or the nutrition will be oxidized.

2. Beauty effect

Oolong tea can reduce serum neutral lipid and cholesterol, and it can increase SOD activity. From which it can be inferred that oolong tea has a certain health care effect on the skin.

3. Promote energy metabolism

According to the comparison test of water, green tea, and oolong tea on to promote the basic metabolic function, the result shows that water has no special effect, the green tea can promote the metabolism of 4 calories an hour, while the oolong tea is the best, it can promote calories metabolism.
And oolong tea’s effect can last 5 hours, a 300cc cup of oolong tea will burn 40 calories (equivalent to 15 minutes of brisk walking and 10 minutes of walking stairs).

4. Reduce blood lipid

Oolong tea has the function of preventing and reducing blood lipid in aortic atherosclerosis.
Drinking oolong tea can also reduce blood viscosity, prevent the accumulation of red blood cells, improve blood hypercoagulability, increase blood mobility and improve microcirculation.
The experimental results of thrombus formation in vitro also showed that oolong tea could inhibit thrombus formation effectively.

5. Anti-aging effect

Oolong tea has the same anti-aging effect as vitamin E.
Vitamin C has an anti-aging effect, and drinking oolong tea can maintain a high level of vitamin C in the blood when adequate amounts of vitamin C are absorbed daily.