By karla walker
selecting a tea can be overwhelming. There are so many teas with so many names; what is the difference? there are tisanes, herbals, black, green, white teas, and i'm going to add one more to the list, oolong.
When i first heard of oolong, i had no idea what it was. It looked like black tea to me, so i summed it up as black tea and didn't give it a second thought. But, when i looked closer, i could see and taste the difference. While oolong tea may come from the same leaves as black tea, the difference comes with how it's processed.
The four “real” teas are black, green, white, and oolong. What are the similarities and differences that separate these four amazing beverages? the short answer: all four of these teas come from the same plant, but the way that they are processed creates a different flavor and aroma for each. The long answer: i’m fascinated by what we call the “real” teas. Those are black tea, green tea, white tea, and oolong tea. What makes them real teas over something like herbal tea ? they come from the same plant, specifically the camellia sinensis, or tea bush as it’s more commonly called.
What: us two tea taiwanese black tea manhattan black ($12 for 12 tea bags at the time of publishing) why: this ruby black tea variety is unique to taiwan and sourced directly from tea farms in taiwan’s nantou county. It brews a smooth, balanced cup with a lovely natural sweetness and notes of honey, and it’s great for the morning or an afternoon pick-me-up. Us two tea is an asian american–owned business. —katie okamoto, staff writer other varieties to try from us two tea: taiwanese oolong tea homesick , a mild tea with a melon aroma and slightly bitter flavor; taiwanese baozhong tea family tradition , a creamy, robust oolong tea.
Black vs. Oolong Tea: The Main Differences
1. They all come from the same plant – the “tea” plant
2. The tea plant is called camelia sinensis. 3. They all contain caffeine.
What makes them different?
it’s the way the tea is processed that makes it different. Black tea is tea that has been oxidised (or “fermented”). This means the air is allowed to get to the tea leaves. To look at it very simply, as the air gets to the leaf, it turns from green to brown – just like an apple turns from fresh and green to dry and brown when left in open air. You can stop the oxidation process by heating the leaves.
Oolong tea is a traditional chinese tea that means “dark dragon”. The flavor of oolong tea has hints of green tea as well as the bitterness of black tea, which is why some people consider oolong tea a middle ground between green tea and black tea. Drinking oolong tea regularly comes with a multitude of health benefits from weight loss to dental hygiene.
Many people don't realize that all tea: black tea, green tea, white tea and oolong tea, come from the tea plant, camellia sinensis. The difference between green tea and black tea is that black tea leaves are fully oxidized. Think of a sliced apple turning brown after a couple hours. That's oxidation at work! to make black tea, the tea leaves are harvested, then allowed to wilt. Then they're rolled or crushed to increase the oxidation process, which turns the leaves blackish brown, hence, "black tea. " once the leaves are fully oxidized, they're heated and dried to halt the oxidation process and preserve their flavor.
Oolong or Black Tea: Which One Should I Drink?
The best way to think of oolong tea is a cross between black and green tea. While black tea is fully oxidized and green tea is barely oxidized, if at all, oolong tea falls somewhere in the middle. The oxidation levels of oolong tea vary dramatically, which results in a wide range of oolong teas, some of which taste more like green tea (vegetal, fresh, floral) and some more like black tea (malty, rich, full-bodied). For the same reason, the caffeine content of oolong tea varies considerably. You’ll often find that oolong tea leaves have a twisted shape, formed by hand or machine to encourage oxidation and adjust the tea’s flavor profile.
There are many different ways to categorize tea. One is by the level of oxidation. It can be roughly classified by unoxidized tea as green tea, half-oxidized tea as oolong tea, or full-oxidized tea as black tea. Black tea go though the full-oxidized process. In the course of chemical oxidation, catechine transform to theaflavin or thearubigin, and vitamin c is largely destroyed. The major black tea producing countries are india, kenya, sri lanka, and indonesia. Those countries produce 75% of the total production of the world. Green tea is an unoxidized tea. Immediately after the leaves are picked, leaves are steamed or pan-fired.
The primary types of tea are black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong tea, pu-erh tea, purple tea, and herbal infusions. If you’re new to tea, the many different types and varieties of tea can seem confusing and overwhelming. What exactly is the difference between black tea and green tea? what about herbal tea and rooibos? can you tell your whites from your oolongs, your purples from your pu-erhs? here at artfultea we carry almost a hundred different kinds of tea, so we know a thing or two about breaking tea down into more manageable, easy to understand categories. We love guiding our customers through their tea journey, whether they’re new to tea or are experienced tea drinkers.
This step used in oolongs and black teas continues the natural process of oxidization by allowing the leaves to rest after the withering or tossing/bruising (turning over) steps. The time allowed determines the amount of oxidization for the tea being made. At this point, the leaves turn to a darker green or even a red colour, due to the breaking down of the cell structure of the leaves. It is at this stage where the tea begins to develop its grassy, flowery or fruity taste characteristics.
From an overall health standpoint, trying to find the "healthiest" tea is not the most constructive approach. Balentine says, "true tea, i. E. Black, green, oolong, and white (but not " herbal ") teas, are all produced from the leaves of camellia sinensis. " it is the way in which each tea is harvested or processed that differentiate the various products from the same plant. This means that you will find slight variances in the amounts of antioxidants in each. White tea, for instance, has the highest concentration of antioxidants because it is the least processed tea. By this standard, it might be considered the "healthiest" of them all.