Can You Call Wu Yi Tea, Oolong Tea?
Well, sort of. Oolong tea is not wu yi tea, but wu yi tea IS oolong tea. Do I have you scratching your head? It is not that complicated. Let’s go over tea varieties, and then it will be more clear.
Camellia sinensis is the plant for which all real teas are harvested. The final product, or variety, depends on how it is processed.
Over 75% of tea produced in the world is the highly popular black tea. The leaves are harvested and then withered by leaving them out. The remaining moisture is then rolled out via a machine (CTC) or the old-fashioned way by hand (orthodox). The hand method leaves the tea in tact more while the CTC method is a bit harsher leaving the leaves more crushed.
They are then spread out in a cool, damp place to oxidize. This turns the leaves from green to brownish color. The tea leaves are then dried using hot air. Finally, the tea is sorted into various grades depending the final leaf size.
In processing green tea, the process is similar expect that there is no oxidation. Instead, the green tea leaves are steamed immediately after being dried to stop any oxidation process. The nutrients are also left more in tact. However, the tea has a sort of grassy taste without the oxidation process.
White tea comes from the “baby” leaves on the Camellia sinensis plant. It can only be harvested a few days in a year when the buds of the plant have yet to fully open. It is then processed similarly to green tea, but because the leaves are so young, the tea has a smoother, more delicate flavor. White tea has only been available for worldwide distribution as it was once reserved only for the Chinese nobility. True white tea remains rather expensive.
Oolong tea is the best of both worlds because it is only partially oxidized. This allows it to taste similar to black tea, but retain more of the natural nutrients as green tea. Obviously, this is an advantage because if you would like to reap the health benefits of green tea, but you prefer the flavor and aroma of black tea, you will enjoy oolong tea more.
Okay, so why do we call some oolong tea, wu yi tea? Think of it more as a brand name, but perhaps a bit more special. Wu yi tea is oolong tea so named for the chain of mountains where it grows. The Wuyi mountain chain in Northeastern China is home to the Camellia sinensis plant where wu yi tea is harvested.
It is sort of like “New Zealand” kiwis, only they leave the oolong completely out of the name. Oolong tea can be grown in other regions, but the quality may not match that of wu yi tea. The mountain range has a great climate and fantastic soil for growing oolong tea.
Just like white tea, wu yi was once only given as a gift to the higher ups in China. Finally, wu yi tea has become quite popular in the Western world. It is widely available on the internet. The popularity is likely due to its great flavor as well as nutritional value.
Discover how the stars are dropping pounds safely and effectively with wu yi tea. Go there now and get your own free e-book by signing up to our amazing newsletter packed with hints on dieting, exercise and wu yi green tea.
