Oolong tea

Sometimes the middle way is the tastiest. Oolong tea fans at least confirm this. It is a compromise in both procedure and taste between black and green tea.

The art of perfect timing.

„Oolong“ translated means „black dragon“ or „black snake“. According to legend, a reptile scared a tea planter controlling dry leaves. When, after days, he plucked up the courage to return, he found the leaves at the perfect state of fermentation. The result beeing a fascinating drink.

In reality Oolong is obtained by a limited fermentation time which is longer than for green and shorter than for black teas. It is considered a great skill to gauge the perfect time, reading the copper-coloured changes of the leaves and stopping the fermentation process using steam or roasting.

Oolong also lies between the other two regarding its caffeine content. Its flavour ranges from fruity and flowery to malty and strong. It may be combined with herbs giving rise to a lot of variation in taste. It is also popular cold, e.g. as iced tea.

If necessary experts can wait for years.

Dark Oolong can not only be stored for a long time but in fact improves over the years. Similar to some wines it unfolds its taste potential with time. After 3 years in storage, the leaves have to be carefully roasted annually. Older Oolong usually contains no caffeine making it suitable even for those with sensitive digestion. Correct preparation - pour water of 95° C on the leaves and allow to brew for 3-5 minutes. Oolong may be re-used several times.

Drinking tea makes you forget that the world's noise exists.

Chinese saying