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Wulong Tea
Wulong tea (also known as Oolong tea) is a traditional Chinese tea and
is the most common tea served in Chinese restaurants. It is in the
middle between green tea and black tea in terms of oxidation. The taste
of Wulong tea also falls between green tea and black tea ¨C it is not
¡°grassy¡± like green tea is. Wulong tea, if brewed properly, should be
strong and bitter while leaving a sweet aftertaste. The best Wulong tea
is judged by its aroma and taste.
How did Wulong tea come to be? Several tales surround Wulong tea. One
tale says that a man discovered Wulong tea on accident after a long day
of tea-picking when he was startled by a deer. After regaining his
senses, he found the tea he was picking had oxidized and turned into
Wulong tea. A second tale tells of how a tea plantation owner was scared
off while drying his tea leaves by a black snake. The owner returned
days later to find the Wulong tea leaves oxidized by the sun. He brewed
the leaves up ¨C thus discovering Wulong tea.
Wulong tea leaves are distinct in that when they are dried they take on
a black thread-like look which may also be why people say Wulong tea
looks like small black dragons when hot water is poured on the leaves.
The processing and refining of Wulong tea occurs in six steps (eight if
you count the grading and packaging of the end product). The very first
step once the Wulong tea has been harvested is to sun/air dry the tea
leaves to remove moisture ¨C a process called wilting. Next, the edges
of the tea leaves are bruised so more tea leaf can be oxidized. After
bruising, the leaves are tumbled which helps to stop any further
oxidization. Wulong tea leaves are then dried and stirred in a pan,
after which they are cooled and further dried. At this point, the Wulong
tea may be graded and consumed, or packaged for sale.
Health Benefits of Oolong Tea / Wulong Tea / Wu-long Tea
Made in the semi-fermented process, oolong tea contains a wide variety
of polyphenolic compounds (commonly known as tannin) and these different
nutrients are probably integrated to bring great benefits to our bodies.
Oolong Tea / Wulong Tea / Wu-long Tea has much greater amount of
polyphenolic compounds compared to green tea and black tea.
Polyphenol in oolong tea is effective in controlling obesity.
Specifically speaking, it activates the enzyme that is responsible for
dissolving triglyceride. It has been confirmed that the continuous
intake of oolong tea contributes to enhancing the function of fat
metabolism and to controlling obesity.
Polyphenol in oolong tea is also effective in reducing triglyceride and
removing free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for adult
diseases, such as arteriosclerosis and diabetes, as well as dark spots
and wrinkles on the skin.
According to the Department of Dentistry, Osaka University, consuming
polyphenol found in oolong tea contributes to the reduction of tooth
decay significantly and is effective in preventing the occurrence of
such decay. The Department of Dermatology, Shiga University of Medical
Science carried out research into its effect on atrophic dermatitis and
discovered that 64% of sufferers of atrophic dermatitis reported an
improvement in their skin condition. This indicates that oolong tea is
very effective regarding atrophic dermatitis.
Of course, Oolong Tea / Wulong Tea / Wu-long Tea also have medical
benefits that comes with any Chinese tea cancer prevention
# reducing harmful effects from cigarettes smoking
# stimulating nerve centre and the process of metabolism
# reducing heart disease
# aiding digestion |
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