oolong tea

thanks ruth n jersey i was reading where the oolong was good for you--
 

I've had it in the past, but I like flavors like Earl Grey, English Breakfast or Darjeeling better. I'm not a big tea drinker but do have it several times a year with honey, I also like Celestial Seasonings like raspberry and cherry.
 
We love tea. We like oolong but prefer black teas; e.g., oolong is a partially oxidized tea whereas black teas are fully oxidized. Black teas are known as "red" teas in China because of the tea's deep reddish color. Assam, Keemun, and Darjeeling are black teas.

Our favorite is Lapsang Souchong, which can be found in both green (unoxidized) and black teas. We like it very smoky and strong, so we are currently blending two different teas to our taste. Our blend comes out like a Russian Caravan tea that we are no longer able to obtain as the vendor went out of business.

The one black tea I don't care for is Pu-erh. It's fermented as well as oxidized, and to me it tastes like really bad coffee, LOL.

I also like white teas, but they are expensive and finicky to make. These are the teas you should measure both leaves and water, as well as heating the water to a precise temperature and steeping for a specific time. White Peony and Champagne Peony are really amazing to drink - very subtle, mellow, beautiful flavors. If oversteeped they can become quite bitter.

Oolong is the traditional tea served in Chinese restaurants as the default choice. Often Jasmine is also available.
 
Never tried it but now that I know there is a health benefit might give it a go.

I drink mostly Earl Grey and Darjeeling.

One that I tried that is just plain awful is with vanilla. I think it was Tetley something or other.
 
We were served Oolong tea in China. The leaves were uncut and rolled into little balls which unraveled in the hot water. We were told to sip the tea by inhaling it and it had a definite after taste that was very pleasant. They called it The Queen of Teas and it was very expensive.

I've tried to source it in Australia at tea vendors but what is available under the name Oolong doesn't seem anything like what we had in China.
 
[QUOTE=Falcon; I'm not a tea drinker except a nice cold iced tea in the summertime with maybe lunch.

I'm sorta the same way......I've never been much of a hot tea drinker but I drink iced tea year round.
 
Warrigal said:
We were served Oolong tea in China. The leaves were uncut and rolled into little balls which unraveled in the hot water. We were told to sip the tea by inhaling it and it had a definite after taste that was very pleasant. They called it The Queen of Teas and it was very expensive.

I've tried to source it in Australia at tea vendors but what is available under the name Oolong doesn't seem anything like what we had in China.
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Very true - one of the big problems with oolong is that there's such a wide discrepancy in quality. Unfortunately there is no one recognized 'standard' of quality in tea or coffee beans, LOL.

You may find this Eater article to be a useful read: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/02/best-tea-where-to-buy.

*Note that Eater (irritatingly) does not date its articles, altho it seems to be fairly recent. The first shop they mention, Peter Luong's Song Tea in San Francisco, CA, now has a website: https://songtea.com/. Dachi Tea, however, is still seeking funding and not open for business yet.

I can second the article's recommendation on Nepalese teas; we have found some of them delightful. Also, Silver Needles is sold by a number of vendors; it's also a lovely oolong.
 

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