The name Oolong literally means ‘Black Snake’ or ‘Black Dragon” in Chinese. The name derives from the appearance as some can appear long, dark and curled. Some say the leafs are baby black dragons that wake up when you pour water on them!

Oolongs are some of our favourite teas and offer some of the richest and most potent flavours available in the tea world! Oolong’s are ‘semi oxidised’ and are some way between a green and a black tea. The oxidisation process varies from light to heavy and so, Oolongs offer a wide and varied spectrum of flavours. Oolongs can be floral, fruity, dark,robust, sweet, nutty, toasty, mineral flavoured. An oolong of minimal processing, such as a light roast ‘Tie Guan Yin’ will be light and floral. A heavily oxidised Oolong such as a ‘Da Hong Pao’ would be dark, roasty and complex.

Oolong health benefits:
containing high levels of:
antioxidants (a spectrum of health benefits)
Catechins & caffeine (weight loss aids)
Also calcium, copper, carotin, selenium, potassium, vitamin A, B, C, E, K,
folic acid, niacin amide and other detoxifying alkaloids which contribute to good health. A 2003 study showed that
Oolongs can help with type 2 diabetes. and with skin diseases like eczema.