Oolong (traditional Chinese: 烏龍; simplified Chinese: 乌龙; pinyin: wūlóng) is a traditional Chinese tea (Camellia sinensis) somewhere between green and black in oxidation. It ranges from 10% to 70% oxidation.  It is among the most popular types of teas served in typical Chinese restaurants.

Oolong Tea is grown in the Fuijan province of China. Oolongs are semi-oxidised or "semi-green" teas which have flavours varying from light and delicate to very strong. Se Zhong is a thick strong Oolong with colour but there are more light flavoured Oolongs such as Huan Jin Qui (Yellow Golden Flower), Shu Xian (Water Fairy), Da Hong Pao (Great Red Robe), Loui Gui (Meat Flower) and Wuyi Yan (Bohea Rock).

In Chinese tea culture, semi-oxidized oolong teas are collectively grouped as qīngchá  Chinese: 清茶; literally "clear tea"). Oolong has a taste more akin to green tea than to black tea: it lacks the rosy, sweet aroma of black tea but it likewise does not have the stridently grassy vegetal notes that typify green tea. It is commonly brewed to be strong, with the bitterness leaving a sweet aftertaste. Several subvarieties of oolong, including those produced in the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian and in the central mountains of Taiwan, are among the most famous Chinese teas.

The name oolong tea comes into the English language from the Chinese name (traditional Chinese: 烏龍茶), which is pronounced as O·-liông tê in the Min Nan spoken variant. The Chinese name means "black dragon tea". There are three widely accepted explanations on how this Chinese name came about.

According to the "tribute tea" theory, oolong tea was a direct descendant of Dragon-Phoenix Tea Cake tribute tea. Oolong tea replaced it when loose tea came into fashion. Since it was dark, long and curly, it was called the Black Dragon tea.

According to the "Wuyi" theory, oolong tea first existed in Wuyi Mountain. This is evidenced by Qing dynasty poems such as Wuyi Tea Song (Wuyi Chage) and Tea Tale (Chashuo). It was said that oolong tea was named after the part of Wuyi mountain where it was originally produced.

According to the "Anxi" theory, oolong tea had its origin in the Anxi oolong tea plant. A man named Sulong, Wulong or Wuliang discovered it.

Another tale tells of a man named Wu Liang (later corrupted to Wu Long, or Oolong) who discovered oolong tea by accident when he was distracted by a deer after a hard day's tea-picking, and by the time he remembered about the tea it had already started to oxidize.

The History of Oolong Tea

Some time around the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (1644) a new style of partially oxidized tea sprung from the Wu Yi Mountains. When first mentioned in writing these teas were referred to as Rock Tea (Yan Cha) – a reference to their birthplace, the rocky soil of Wu Yi Shan, and a name that is still used for teas from this region today. These first teas soon came to be called Min Bei Wulong Cha, translated as “Northern Fujian Black Dragon Tea.”  In English, we use a short anglicized pronunciation of this title – “Oolong.”

The skill of making this special type of tea spread from the North of Fujian province southward to the Anxi and Guangdong province’s Chaozhou area (Phoenix Mountain) before crossing the strait to Taiwan around 1810. These areas continue to be the bases for the four major catagories of oolong tea: Wu Yi Mountain Rock Oolong, Anxi Oolong,Guangdong Dan Cong and Taiwan Oolong.

If you’ve read up on the histories of black tea and white tea, you’re likely to be well acquainted with China’s Fujian province.  This Southeastern coastal province, historically rich with ethnic diversity, has been a watershed of tea culture innovations for over a thousand years. In light of this history it may come as no surprise that Fujian is responsible for creating and perfecting the first oolong teas. With biological diversity atop mineral rich soil from weathered rock, Fujian’s Wu Yi Shan has long been recognized as a very special place that is well suited to grow very special tea.

Even prior to when it bore the oolong style, Fujian’s northern Wu Yi Shan region had already seen a golden age of tea production starting in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and peaking in Song (960-1279). The compressed cakes of tea made in Wu Yi Shan during the late song dynasty were ornate treasures of their day, produced with a skilled method that has yet to be recovered from history.

In 1392, the newly established Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) instated a sudden prohibition on Wu Yi Shan’s most famous product: compressed cakes of tea.  An attempt to break the long standing corruption and excess the tea trade perpetuated, the Ming Dynasty’s ban on compressed tea inadvertently imposed a dark age on Fujian tea making. With their factories raided and equipment confiscated, tea production was effectively shut down for 150 years. Ironically, from this dark age, all of the region’s most famous innovations were born. In the tumult of adjusting tea producing infrastructure to produce loose leaf tea, Fujian’s tea makers (likely Buddhist monks operating in their temples) invented charcoal roasting techniques to dry their tea. The slow charcoal roasting coupled with the accidental oxidization of their tea defined the characteristic flavor of Wu Yi Shan’s oolongs that continue to be produced today. Exactly when the process began no one knows for sure, though the the first mention of this tea comes from a poem written by a monk living in Wu Yi Shan during the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. He refers to this tea as “Yan Cha” (lit. “Rock Tea”) a name still commonly associated with the Wu Yi Oolong style today.

Wu Yi’s technique for making partially oxidized and charcoal dried tea spread south into the now famous producing areas of Anxi and Chaozhou and across the strait to Taiwan. Over time this skill was embellished into distinct regional styles defined by the local tea bush cultivars, local soil quality, and local culinary preferences. Initially though, all of this new style of tea resembled the dark, long and slightly twisted appearance of Wu Yi oolong tea today.  The name “Oolong” or “Wu Long” meaning “Black Dragon”, is likely a reference to the tea leaves’ unique resemblance to the curling body of mythical Chinese dragons.

Harvesting and Making Oolong Tea

Chinese oolong (wulong) is considered the most complicated tea produced and requires great skill and experience to craft their enormous range of flavors, fragrances and liquor colors. One tea master, Lin Zhi, in comparing tea to painting said that oolongs were like oil paintings, while black tea was like water colors, and green tea like Chinese ink paintings. Oolong being the thickest and most complex medium of the group.

In more concrete terms, Chinese oolong tea relates to green and black tea as sort compromise in processing. Like all other types of tea, the flavor of oolong is greatly influenced by how little or how much the leaves have oxidized.  Leaves in oolong tea can range in oxidation from 15%-75%; a split between green tea’s near lack of oxidation and black tea’s near total oxidation.

Even before the leaves reach the defining step of oxidation, the process of making oolong tea contrasts with other styles. To begin, oolong tea’s harvest time is comparably later than green, white or yellow tea. Even “Spring Oolong” tea is not picked until April or even May. The standard for picking is three or four fresh, open leaves. Buds are very rare, but occasionally show up in Taiwanese made oolong. After picking, a year’s crop of oolong tea may take about month to process before it goes to market in July.

The later picking time is necessary so producers can score bigger leaves that are durable enough for processing and also rich in aromatic oils. These aromatic oils are the flavor precursors brought out by carefully controlled oxidation and multiple stages of moisture removal.

Processing is different in the four different regions of oolong manufacture but the basic process can be described as follows. After picking, fresh tea leaves are withered in the sun for a few hours. Once the leaves lose enough moisture to become pliable, they are taken indoors and placed in bamboo trays and agitated to start their slow oxidation process. As tea oxidizes, it continues to wither in the controlled temperature of the room. After the tea is suitably oxidized, it is exposed to very high heat- ceasing all enzymatic oxidation. This is usually done by quickly sending the tea though a long tumbler of hot air which replicates pan frying. After this step, the tea may be shaped. This is when Anxi and Taiwanese oolong leaves are rolled into their distinctive ball form. The finished tea is then roasted over charcoal to further remove moisture until it becomes a suitably dry and stable product.

It’s important to note that when processing tea, the tea masters don’t think in terms of drying; they think in terms of removing moisture. That may sound like the same thing, but in Chinese thinking it is very different. The tea is never completely dried, and at different stages of production, when the percentage of moisture content is at a certain level, different processes will be used. The tea master determines a tea’s moisture level by look, touch, and especially by smell. The smell of the leaves is critical, and tea masters do everything they can to avoid catching a cold during the tea making season.

There are many variations in the techniques to making oolongs and describing all of them here is beyond the scope of this discussion, but in terms of general characteristics, the Anxi and Taiwan teas are most closely related, and the Wu Yi and Dan Cong oolongs are at least somewhat similar, with the Dan Cong tea making techniques coming from Wu Yi Shan.  Anxi and Taiwan teas are rolled into balls, are lightly oxidized and tend to be lighter tasting with an aftertaste that is sometimes stronger then the immediate taste. Dan Cong and Wu Yi teas are commonly more oxidized, and their leaves are rolled lengthwise. The immediate taste can be quite strong, with a sweeter, lighter aftertaste. Of course there are many examples of exceptions to these generalities, but it is safe to say that all oolongs are very complicated and sophisticated teas, with a large spectrum of tastes, aftertastes and smells. Different oolongs are prepared to accentuate the natural character of the tea bush and their growing area. Perhaps the most the most complex meeting of a master’s skill and the terroir is still the original oolong tea from Wu Yi Mountain.

Shapes and flavors of regional oolong are far from consistent. Shifting market preferences may quite literally reshape an oolong tea. As recently as 1995, Anxi oolong was not curled as we know it today, but looked much more like the dark, open leaf Rock Oolong from Wu Yi Shan. In the first decade of this century, greener, lightly oxidized tea have come into popularity. What we are examining is the the ascendancy of newly developed Taiwanese manufacturing techniques and a market preference for tea that delivers highly floral aromatics. Even more recently, aged oolong tea has become popular. Perhaps this can be explained as a backlash against the highly aromatic and lightly oxidized oolongs, or perhaps because a surge of interest in aging teas caused by the puer market boom. Regardless of why, aging oolong tea is not a long standing traditional practice of experts but is rather a practice of rural Chinese who have kept aged oolong tea (not to mention white tea and black tea as well) for its medicinal cooling quality.

Health Benefits of Oolong Tea

There are many health benefits attributed to drinking Chinese tea, ranging from feelings of well-being to near magical cures. For the average Westerner, much of this interest is focused on ancient claims related to weight loss and more modern claims of cancer-prevention due to tea's anti-oxidant properties. Each person must make their own assessment of the facts. While there are centuries of tradition and empirical evidence from Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is little modern scientific consensus that supports the health benefits of tea. Even the effect of anti-oxidants to prevent anything has recently been drawn sharply into focus.

We believe that any food product can have positive and/or negative health effects and in varying degrees for different individuals. We do not recommend teas on the basis of health benefits and at this point, do not think it is prudent to recommend tea-drinking for anything other than to enjoy the wonderful flavour and the experience of enjoying tea alone or with friends.

For reference purposes only, we list the benefits of Oolong Tea as commonly recognized in Traditional Chinese Medicine:

• Polyphenols prevent tooth decay
• High source of Vitamin C, good for the skin
• Can reduce skin irritations
• Can improve the performance of enzymes that break down fat and increases fat metabolism
• Can lower cholesterol
• Muscle relaxant in the bronchial tract
• Can regulate body temperature

Recently, oolongs have become interesting to the West because of current research being done with obesity and weight loss, but oolong teas with heavier oxidation have been famous for hundreds of years for aiding digestion, curing headaches, and cleansing the system from excessive use of smoke and alcohol. Though promising research has been published, the weight loss claims surrounding oolong tea have yet to be substantiated by a large body of western medical research. Beware of unscrupulous merchants trumpeting claims of weight loss to mask poor quality tea. As with all tea, we suggest the health benefits are just icing on the cake; the experience of drinking these teas are what it’s all about.

Still, physiological comforts to drinking oolong can be quite blatant if one takes some tea (especially Dan Cong!) after a heavy meal. Soothing to the stomach, oolong tea is a great counter balance to rich or greasy food.

A famous culinary grease cutter in its own right, Rock Oolong tea also offers nutrients from the mineral rich soil of Wu Yi Shan, which are popularly believed to benefit joint health, to relieve muscle aches and are considerably popular in Japan as an aid to liver health.

On the other end of oolong’s spectrum of processing, the lightly oxidized teas Anxi and Taiwanese oolong is viewed by traditional Chinese medicine as beneficial to the respiratory system.

Three Measures For Judging Quality in Chinese Oolong Tea

1.  The best oolong tea never becomes bitter, no matter how long it is infused. It is true that some good Dan Cong oolong can have some bitterness that is sought after, especially by locals, but the better Dan Cong oolongs are sweeter and more smooth. A rich flavor through multiple infusions and a long aftertaste should be expected from all oolong teas.

2.  With Anxi, Taiwan, Dan Cong, most leaves should not be damaged and should look reasonably whole once they are infused and unfold.  Because Rock Oolong undergoes multiple stages of roasting, its leaves can be expected to be brittle and usually less than whole.

3.  After making the tea, the leaves should be tender, pliable and look fresh. The leaves should not be chewy, old and thick – this is evidence of a very late picking.

Varieties of Oolong Tea

Wuyi cliff tea (武夷岩茶 Wǔyí yán chá) from Fujian province

The most famous and expensive Oolong tea are made in Wuyi mountains but the production is still usually accredited as organic. A lot of Shui Xian is grown elsewhere in Fujian. Some of the better known cliff teas are:

Da Hong Pao(大红袍)
Literally translated into Big Red Robe Tea,a highly prized tea and a Si Da Ming Cong (四大名樅, literally: The Four Great Bushes). This tea is also one of the two Oolongs that make it to the list of the 10 Chinese most famous teas.

Shui Jin Gui(水金亀)
Golden Water Turtle in Chinese, a Si Da Ming Cong.

Tie Luo Han(鉄羅漢)
Iron Arhat in Chinese, a Si Da Ming Cong tea.

Bai Ji Guan(白鸡冠)
White Cockscomb in Chinese, a Si Da Ming Cong tea. A light tea with light, yellowish leaves.

Rou Gui(肉桂)
Cinnamon in Chinese, a dark tea with a spicy aroma.

	Shui Xian Oolong Tea

Shui Xian (水仙)
Water Sprite in Chinese, a very dark tea, often grown elsewhere.

Fujian province

Tie Guanyin
Iron Guanyin in Chinese, this is a tea from Anxi in South Fujian. It is very famous, in fact a 'Chinese famous tea' and very popular.

Guangdong province

Dān Cōng (单丛)
A family of stripe-style oolong teas from Guangdong Province. The doppelganger of teas, Dancong teas are noted for their ability to naturally imitate the flavors and fragrances of various flowers and fruits, such as orange blossom, orchid, grapefruit, almond, ginger flower, etc.

As the name implies, Dancong ("single bush") teas are clonal or single-bush productions.

Taiwanese Teas

Tea cultivation only began in Taiwan in the mid 19th century. Since then, many of the teas which are grown in Fujian province have also been grown in Taiwan. Since the 1970s the tea industry in Taiwan has grown at a rapid rate, in line with the rest of Taiwan's economy. Due to high domestic demand and a strong tea culture, the majority of Taiwanese tea is bought and consumed by the Taiwanese.

As the weather in Taiwan is capricious, quality of tea may differ from season to season. Although the island is not particularly large, it is geographically varied, with high, steep mountains rising sharply from low-lying coastal plains. The different weather patterns, temperatures, altitudes and soil ultimately result in differences in appearance, aroma and flavour of the tea grown in Taiwan. In some mountainous areas, teas have been cultivated at ever higher elevations to produce an unique sweet taste that fetches a premium price.

Dong Ding Oolong (凍頂) 
The name means Frozen Summit or Ice Peak. Dong Ding is a mountain in Nantou County, Central Taiwan. This is a tightly rolled tea with a light, distinctive fragrance.

Dong Fang Mei Ren (東方美人茶)
The name means Oriental (Eastern) Beauty. Also known as Bai Hao Oolong. This tea is tippy (the leaves frequently have white or golden tips), with natural fruity aromas, a bright red appearance and a sweet taste.

Alishan (阿里山茶)
Grown in the Alishan area of Chiayi County, the dried tea are large-rolled in a purple-green colour. It is grown at an elevation of 1000 to 1400 metres. There is only a short period during the growing season when the sun is strong, which results in a sweeter and less astringent taste. It produces a golden yellow infusion with an unique fruity aroma.

Lishan
Grown in the north-central region of Taiwan this tea is very similar in appearance to Alishan teas but is often considered to be one of the best teas from Taiwan. It is grown at an elevation of above 1000 metres with Dayuling, Lishan, and Fusou being the best well know regions and teas of Lishan.

Pouchong (包種茶)
Also romanized as Baozhong, the most delicate and floral Oolong, with unrolled leaves of a light green to brown color. Originally grown in Fujian it is now widely cultivated and produced in Pinglin Township near Taipei, Taiwan.

Oolong Tea or Wulong Tea?

There is some confusion about the spelling of oolong tea. Some prefer oolong tea while others prefer wulong tea. Other common spellings include wu long tea and wu lung tea.

Both "oolong tea" and "wulong tea" refer to the same type of tea. Even if it is spelt "wu long tea" or broken into "wu long", it is still the same type of tea.

Why so many spellings?

The simple reason is that "wulong" is a Chinese word, and the Chinese language does not use an alphabet. Unlike English or most other Western languages, written Chinese uses characters which represent entire syllables (more accurately each character is morphemo-syllabic).

The spelling "wulong" (or "oolong" or "wulung") is a phonetic transcription of the Chinese characters that approximates the sound of spoken Chinese - more specifically spoken Mandarin.

The Chinese characters for oolong tea (or wulong tea or wu long tea) are these:

The first character is pronounced "oo" or "wu". The second character is pronounced "long" and the third character (tea) is pronounced "cha".

Oolong or Wulong - What's the big diff?

There are several different systems for Romanizing the Mandarin language. Romanization is the process of transcribing the sounds of spoken Chinese with letters from the Roman alphabet. Western students of Mandarin Chinese can use Romanization to help them learn to speak the language without first having to learn thousands of different Chinese characters.

Most of the world (including China and the UN) has adopted Pinyin as the Romanization system for Mandarin Chinese. Chinese children learn pinyin before learning to write Chinese characters. If you look at a Chinese children's book, it will have pinyin written above each character.

Taiwan still doesn't have any one Romanization standard and Romanization is not used to teach Taiwanese children. Children's books in Taiwan use a system called Zhuyin (or Bopomofo), which is an phonetic alphabet made out of components of Chinese characters.

The correct pinyin transcription of 烏龍茶 is "wulong cha". Since Mandarin is a tonal language, pinyin written in books for children or foreign students usually has tone marks written above it. The way to write 烏龍茶 in zhuyin is ㄨ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄔㄚˊ. 

If you see Chinese words that are spelled differently from the pinyin standard, they were probably imported into the English speaking world via Taiwan, or else they have been in use since before Pinyin was common. It is also possible that they came from another another language, such as Cantonese or Japanese.

Photographs courtesy of Tom Antony (aka Salsero)