Oolong Tea
乌龙茶
Tea TypesDefinition
Oolong is partially oxidized tea, usually somewhere between 10 and 70 percent. The leaves are bruised by repeated shaking and tumbling so that oxidation starts along the torn edges, and the maker fires them at the moment the aroma peaks. That wide band makes oolong the most varied tea family: lightly oxidized Tieguanyin is floral and creamy, while heavily oxidized Dong Ding or Da Hong Pao turns toasty and dark-fruited.
Etymology
Oolong is a romanization of the Chinese 烏龍 (wūlóng), "black dragon." One common account credits a Fujian grower nicknamed Black Dragon; another points to the dark, twisted shape of the finished leaf.
In use
Used for semi-oxidized teas in the middle ground between green and black, especially when discussing Fujian and Taiwan styles or recommending a tea by roast level.