Whether passionate tea drinker or not: almost everybody has come across green, black and maybe even white tea at some point. Oolong teas, however, often seem like quite a mystery to the unacquainted palate, or as some sort of reference point dividing the expert from the amateur. Which is why many people tend to shy away from oolong teas, missing out on whole new worlds of flavours and aromas that are so unique to oolong tea.

Who’s afraid of oolong tea?

Oolong tea is partially oxidised tea. The level of oxidation - as well as the variety of the tea plant and the degree of roasting, if roasted at all - determines the unique flavour and colour of each oolong tea. In order to produce such unique characters the processing and the oxidation of the tea leaves are crucial and require highly developed skills by the tea producer.

"The level of oxidation, the variety of tea plant and the degree of roasting determine the unique flavour and colour of each oolong tea."

With oxidation levels ranging from 12 to 80 percent the colour of the tea leaves can vary from green to dark brown. The flavours vary just as strongly: green oolongs tend to be light, fresh and soft while darker oolongs are rather rich and full-bodied in taste. Thus, “oolong tea” may sound like a neat category but actually describes an immensely diverse group of teas.