If youre ready for something a little different at tea time, try a flavored oolong tea. Many Westerners have not experienced the delicious flavor of oolong tea in any form. With a different flavor than black, green or white teas, oolongs are a rare treat. When paired with another flavor, oolong teas are quite exceptional.
Oolong tea is very popular in Asia. It was first created in China and is still considered Chinas national tea. In the West, however, it is one of the least familiar tea varieties.
Oolong tea is also sometimes known as Wulong tea, after its originator. According to Chinese legend, Wu Liang, a Chinese tea gardener, was busy collecting and processing tea leaves when he spotted a river deer. He stopped to kill and prepare the deer and it interrupted his tea processing for the day. He forgot to dry out the leaves, and only remembered them the next day.
By this time it had begun to change color, and Wu Liang was afraid it had gone bad, but decided to finish drying it anyway. After completing the drying process, he made himself a cup and found that he had created a very flavorful and aromatic tea and oolong was born.
Oolong tea, in terms...