What is Oolong Tea?

Although Oolong tea (also referred to as "Wu Yi tea" or "Wu Long tea") is widely consumed in the Far East, it still has a mysterious aura to it here in America.

Oolong Tea

This air of mystery is encouraged (and capitalized on) by marketing companies who constantly change the tea's name to make it seem more like an ancient Chinese secret for weight loss. The simple truth is that the tea isn't much of a secret, and (since it originated about 400 years ago) it's not particularly ancient either.

Clever marketing aside, these companies do have one thing right. Oolong tea does, in fact, encourage weight loss. Not only will it help you drop those pesky pounds, it's also packed with a whole host of other great health benefits. We'll discuss those below, but first let's take a look at what Oolong tea is and how it's made.

Process of Making Oolong Tea

There are hundreds of different varieties of tea made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, but almost all of them fit into one of the following three categories: Black teas, Green teas, or Oolong teas.

The type of tea is determined by how long the tea is exposed to oxygen before drying out. This careful withering process is called oxidization. Black teas are fully oxidized, while Green teas are dried quickly and unoxidised. Oolong is partially oxidized and combines the best qualities of Black and Green.

Unique & Wonderful Flavor

The complex oxidization process that Oolong undergoes gives it a delicious flavor that is quite distinct from Black and Green tea. It has a fresh taste and strong flavor without a hint of bitterness.

Some Oolong teas are also scented with jasmine by mixing the jasmine flowers with the leaves and infusing the scent of the flowers into the tea.

Oolong & Weight Loss

In the Far East, Oolong has long had the reputation for helping keep people slim. Some of its weight loss benefits are still debated, but scientific studies have proven that Oolong tea helps people to lose weight by:

* Increasing metabolism

* Increasing energy

* Blocking fat absorption

* Ridding the body of excess water weight